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This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
Keep livestock out of California streams
Felice Pace
February 16, 2007
Bob Krauter's article on what can be done to reduce and/or eliminate E. coli contamination of California-grown vegetables ("Ranchers get lesson in food safety," Feb. 2) did little more than trumpet the damage control efforts of grazing interests.
While the subject was surface water contamination, Krauter failed to contact or quote the agencies that are responsible for protecting the public from water pollution - the state and regional water quality control boards.
If Mr. Krauter had, for example, read the relevant regional pollution control plan (Basin Plan) he would perhaps have learned that it is already illegal to deposit, or cause to be deposited, manure of any kind into the waterways of the state. For this reason, there is no need for new legislation to prevent cattle-born E. coli from entering the public waterways.
All that is needed is for the responsible state officials to get out of their offices and start enforcing the relevant state laws and regulations. Unfortunately there is an unwritten rule in California and much of the West - thou shalt not enforce state pollution laws on ranch lands. There are many state water officials who would like to enforce the law fairly and equally. The problem is they are afraid - cowed, threatened and intimidated by the cattle organizations.
It is ironic that laws prohibiting human waste entering public waters are scrupulously enforced while cattle can deposit their waste anywhere they choose (and research shows they often choose streams when they have access to them).
This will backfire on livestock producers eventually. While the American people continue to value the Jeffersonian ideal of the independent farmer, these warm feelings will fade fast if the public decides ag folks are not reliable or responsible.
Livestock operators would do well to clean up their acts and get the cattle out of the streams. And water pollution officials should begin doing their jobs to protect the people from unnecessary manure pollution.
Felice Pace, Klamath, Calif.
Bob Krauter's article on what can be done to reduce and/or eliminate E. coli contamination of California-grown vegetables ("Ranchers get lesson in food safety," Feb. 2) did little more than trumpet the damage control efforts of grazing interests.
While the subject was surface water contamination, Krauter failed to contact or quote the agencies that are responsible for protecting the public from water pollution - the state and regional water quality control boards.
If Mr. Krauter had, for example, read the relevant regional pollution control plan (Basin Plan) he would perhaps have learned that it is already illegal to deposit, or cause to be deposited, manure of any kind into the waterways of the state. For this reason, there is no need for new legislation to prevent cattle-born E. coli from entering the public waterways.
All that is needed is for the responsible state officials to get out of their offices and start enforcing the relevant state laws and regulations. Unfortunately there is an unwritten rule in California and much of the West - thou shalt not enforce state pollution laws on ranch lands. There are many state water officials who would like to enforce the law fairly and equally. The problem is they are afraid - cowed, threatened and intimidated by the cattle organizations.
It is ironic that laws prohibiting human waste entering public waters are scrupulously enforced while cattle can deposit their waste anywhere they choose (and research shows they often choose streams when they have access to them).
This will backfire on livestock producers eventually. While the American people continue to value the Jeffersonian ideal of the independent farmer, these warm feelings will fade fast if the public decides ag folks are not reliable or responsible.
Livestock operators would do well to clean up their acts and get the cattle out of the streams. And water pollution officials should begin doing their jobs to protect the people from unnecessary manure pollution.
Felice Pace, Klamath, Calif.
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