The good news is that a lot of progress has been made in regulating how much chicken waste can be dumped in the future. The bad news is that a federal judge has taken it upon himself to regulate how much that poultry growers and breeders will be able to spread on fields in northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. When Oklahoma and Arkansas scientists couldn’t agree on how to determine how much litter could be applied within the watershed, the judge settled the issue in February by saying he would approve all plans. Farms must have an environmental plan which the judge showing how much litter will be spread without threatening rivers, lakes and streams leading to the main water source. We can think of lots of ways that would have been cheaper, faster and less intrusive into the business of small farmers trying to make a go of farming in northeastern Oklahoma. The big poultry producers can fend for themselves, but many farmers in the area cannot survive as it is without working other jobs. If the intent is to end poultry farming, it won’t work. But by forcing farmers to prepare a plan and wait for a federal judge to approve it, it should run a fair number of small farmers out of the business. And it sure is a massive further intrusion of the courts and the government into some of the most remote and smallest businesses around. Passed along from The Grove Sun Daily

Many judges across America should be removed from the bench for intentional failure to comply with the laws of our land. Until judges are held accountable for their crimes, our "servant judges" shall continue to ruin our people and our land. Sharon Carter Puyallup, Washington
Updated: 2004-04-08 03:23:39