Arkansas Legislature Relaxing State Animal Waste Agri Permitting

The fate of C&H Hog Farms, a controversial industrial swine breeding facility federally permitted five years ago to operate six miles upstream of the Buffalo National River, was at the center of an extraordinary Arkansas legislative special session this week. The Arkansas General Assembly approved a bill that would protect hog farmers from lawsuits for certain environmental issues once their waste permits are approved. The legislation is meant to reassure hog farmers, as well as the banks that lend them money. It also limits the public comment period for the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality's permitting process. Supporters say the bill is meant to block future challenges once permits are given and will not be used to support C&H Hog Farms' future operations, but opponents, who believe the hog farm pollutes the Buffalo River, say they are not buying it.