MEDIA ALERT – Illinois Farmers and Citizens to Call for Legislature to Fix Broken Factory Farm System

Share

Statewide community leaders to take on laws promoting irresponsible industrial livestock growth; damage to public health, rural air & water quality, economy and quality of life

 WHAT:   Illinois farmers and rural community leaders impacted by the state’s factory farm system will hold a press conference at the State Capitol Building in Springfield to make a public plea for amending the Illinois Livestock Management Facilities Act, a controversial and failed pro-agribusiness law.

WHEN:   Tuesday, January 24, 2017 | 10:00 AM CT

WHERE:   State Capitol Building Blue Room | Springfield, IL

WHO:   Illinois farmers & members of the Illinois Citizens of Clean Air & Water (ICCAW) and representatives of the national nonprofit Socially Responsible Agricultural Project (SRAP)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Illinois Livestock Management Facilities Act (LMFA) s a controversial pro-agribusiness law administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) lacks adequate pollution control requirements for the industry. Since the late 1990s, the LMFA has opened the floodgates for irresponsible factory farm development in Illinois.

  • The LMFA stripped away the rights of adversely impacted citizens to challenge poor facility siting decisions, as well as local county government rights of self-determination and control over livestock industry development projects
  • Widespread problems also exist with the state’s regulation of pollution from existing operations due to regulatory failures by the IEPA.
  • Despite IEPA being the subject of a citizen petition for withdrawal of the state’s authority to administer the Clean Water Act by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for nearly a decade, livestock facilities are still the leading cause of Illinois fish kills in Illinois
  • Far too many rural residents across the state are put at-risk by contaminated water, nauseating odors and the impact of air pollution
  • Along with mounting evidence of serious public health consequences for neighbors and the general public, lower property values and economic decline have assaulted rural residence and endangered their way of life.

Event speakers will include individuals who have first-hand experience with the negative impact of factory farms, as well as those who have resigned from their membership and leadership roles with the Illinois Farm Bureau due to the organization’s failure to protect and support family farms.

Media contacts

Karen Hudson, ICCAW/SRAP | p: 309-208-8846 | e: karenh@sraproject.org

Danielle Diamond, SRAP | p: 815-403-0278 | e: danielled@sraproject.org