Some disagree

Dear Editor,

The Nebraska Farm Bureau should remember who helped them to get establish in Nebraska. It wasn't the big farming operations. They were established to help give a voice to the little farmer. The Farm Bureau feels that the regulations for livestock facilities should be viewed by the DEQ rather than local zoning authorities. There are a lot of counties that disagree. The big livestock facilities would like that since they already control the markets of the livestock, grain and retail. Before the little farmer had some say over their product; now we can't take our hogs to the neighborhood sale barn. What's next?

The Farm Bureau feels our local farmers and planning commission will abuse the progress of livestock facilities, even though they build up this land.

The DEQ only has regulation for runoff in open water, which happen in Arthur Co. Isn't that a little late for contaminating? How do you clean it up then? They have no regulation on runoff on public land, how close it can be to a neighbor, no monitoring underground water, no odor control, no set distances from cities or towns. And, they feel we're going to abuse the livestock facilities that contain 10,000 or more animals.

The Farm Bureau says the delegates should encourage "county zoning boards to re-evaluate regulations that may hinder livestock facilities." It's too bad they want to take it out of the local farmer's hands and lobby for the big corporates. I want to see the good neighbors, smell the clean air, and have good clean water. Don't you?

Lynn Meissner,

Wellfleet