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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHog Farmer, Ag-Gag Bill Sponsor Illegally Dumps 800,000 Gallons of Sh*t
by Sarah Von Alt - June 1, 2015
Tennessee representative Andy Holt, former hog farmer and sponsor of the states failed ag-gag bill, created quite a stink when he dumped 800,000 gallons of pig manure into the streams and fields surrounding his hog farm. Holts lagoons were apparently overflowing with waste and Holts response was simply to dump the waste in the waters and lands nearby, with no regard for the environment or the law.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently sent a letter to Holt indicating that absent good cause it would take formal civil enforcement action against him. According to a Memphis news source, Tennessee state officials were considering taking action against Holt at the time this happened, but were discouraged by upper management from doing so.
Holts disregard for the environment should come as no surprise. He was the main sponsor of a controversial ag-gag bill to prevent whistleblowers from documenting animal cruelty and criminal activity in Tennessees factory farms and slaughterhouses. That bill ultimately failed. Clearly, Holts staunch backing of that bill was more self-serving than it may have seemed.
This story makes clear what so many of us already knew: factory farmers blatantly disregard the environment and the animals they abuse and neglect to make a profit. To make matters worse, theyre fighting tooth and nail to hide it.
more
http://www.mfablog.org/hog-farmer-ag-gag-bill-sponsor-illegally
mopinko
(70,394 posts)they should at least have to put it through an anaerobic digester to get the methane.
pretty sure you could brew up some good biofuel out of the stuff, too.
these practices are just insane.
Jester Messiah
(4,711 posts)"who's gonna notice this li'l drop in the bucket?"
MisterP
(23,730 posts)soft squeamish urbanites!
especially since he wants nobody to know what's going on there