LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas’ governor says lawmakers should halt efforts
to change how hog farms and other farms are permitted.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson told reporters Monday he’s concerned about a Senate-backed
bill that would transfer the authority to permit “concentrated animal feeding
operations” from the Department of Environmental Quality to the Arkansas Natural
Resources Commission. The Republican governor says now isn’t the right time to
make dramatic changes in the rulemaking process for the farms, especially with
the Legislature considering a proposal to reorganize state agencies.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has told the state it’s reviewing the
bill to evaluate its impact on the federal Clean Water Act and the state’s
enforcement of it. The measure faces opposition from environmental groups who
say the change would threaten water quality.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI