Impaired Streams flowing into the Buffalo. Spreading C&H manure far and wide. Attempts to renew the flawed General Permit system. Two Fun events.

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HEARINGS & COMMENT PERIODS (see details below)

March 29
Impaired Streams
Joint House and Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committees 1P.M. MAC Building, Committee Room B Little Rock

April 8
EC Farms
Written Comment Period Ends 4:30 P.M.
April 11 -
Public Hearing 6 P.M.

April 14
General Permit Revisions (ARG 590000)
Written Comment Period ends 4:30 P.M.
Public Hearing 6 P.M. Jasper High School

EVENTS

April 20
Science & Songs
Fayetteville Public Library

May 20
1st Annual Creative Writing and Photography Competition
Newton County Public Library 6 - 8 P.M.
May 1 Submission Deadline

303d - Itâ€™s not over yet!

Last time we told you about the National Park Service recommendation that Big Creek be listed as â€œimpairedâ€ due to low dissolved oxygen levels (Impaired Waters List 303d).

Many of you responded to our plea for comments on this issue. Some of you were able to attend the March 1, public hearing which took place at ADEQ Headquarters in Little Rock. We thank you all for your efforts and continued support.

ADEQ has posted public comments on their website. Scroll about half way down the page to â€œPublic Comments.â€
Click here to view

The Senate and House Interim Committees on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development will meet jointly, Tuesday, March 29, 2016, at 1:00 p.m., in MAC Committee Room B, Little Rock, Arkansas. BRWA is listed on the agenda.
The meeting will focus on discussion by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality concerning 303(d) listing of streams and tributaries. Click here to view the agenda.
Please attend if you can.

EC Farms comment period and hearing

To make a long story short- There exists a closed, but not voided, permit covering some 557.8 acres on what is now called EC Farms. The owner is asking permission from ADEQ to allow C&H hog manure to be spread on these fields, all but 10 acres are in the Buffalo River Watershed.

Many of the fields are either adjacent to the Left Fork of Big Creek, which drains into the Buffalo National River, or adjacent to Shop Creek, which drains into the Little Buffalo which also drains into the Buffalo National River.

As you might surmise, the manure will be trucked over Newton Countyâ€™s winding roads from C&H to EC. One wonders what is wrong at the C&H Hog factory that necessitates this risky and expensive operation.

ADEQ has announced its draft approval of the modification request by EC Farms to accept swine waste from C&H Farms.

Written comments will be accepted until 4:30 pm, April 8, 2016 and additional comments may be submitted at a public hearing at the Jasper High School Cafetorium at 6 pm on April 11, 2016. See the Public Notice and conditions of the modification here.

Should ADEQ renew the General Permit?

This General Permit, ARG950000 for swine CAFOs, authorizes the operation of a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). It is a generic permit program which allows for land application of manure under a nutrient management plan (NMP). This permit program also authorizes the discharge of sewage from a storage lagoon when rainfall meets or exceeds a 25 year event. C&H was granted the first and only permit under the General Permit system.
To read the draft renewal document click here.

You wonâ€™t be surprised to learn that the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance (BRWA) opposes the renewal of this permitting system. ARG950000 got us into the current mess.
To submit a comment click here.
Be sure to include your name and address and edit to suit.
Deadline for comments is April 14 at 4:30 P.M.
A public hearing will take place April 14, 6 P.M.at the Jasper High School in Newton County.

Finally Two Fun Events

*Want to learn whatâ€™s underneath the Buffalo River Country?
*Want to hear some great music?
Come to the Fayetteville Public Library from 6:00 to 7:30 P.M. for
Science and Songs of the Buffalo River.

Click on Poster for Details

First Annual Creative Writing & Photography Competition

You may be a winner!

Remember why we all joined the BRWA?
For the love of the Buffalo River.
How many great photos are taking up space on your phone or gathering in the cloud?
Do you express the beauty of the river in the written word, poetry or essays?
Release your takes on the Buffalo River and support the BRWA:
First Annual Creative Writing & Photography Competition

Click on poster for details

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