PROTECT OUR WATER, PROTECT OUR RIGHTS

(Chair's Note: This request is from Canadian County Democratic Party Chair Jody Harlan and Sierra Club member. Her contact information is below. She's asking fellow Democrats to join with her in demanding that our state legislators protect our water. I urge you to contact your legislator this morning about the importance of protecting our environment ---- our water, our land, and our skies. Please help today. Make a call, send an email. Do something.)

PLEASE HELP! The laws that protect clean water in Oklahoma are under attack at the State Capitol by animal factory corporations and their friends who have benefitted from their campaign donations. Whose side are you on?


PLEASE VOTE NO ON HB 1470 - Would you drink water from waterways next to miillions of gallons of livestock waste? Sometimes livestock waste IS hazardous.

Millions of gallons of livestock feces and urine containing hydrogen sulfide gas, arsenic, ammonia, phenols and pathogens are definitely hazardous -- contrary to HB 1470 which is on the House Calendar for Monday, 02/26/07. This bill would grant special privileges and slash the cost of properly disposing of livestock waste for out-of-state, large-scale factory farming corporations at the expense of Oklahoma citizens' health and property rights. Under the provisions of HB 1470, an unscrupulous factory farmer could mix livestock waste with plutonium, pocket the profit, damage his neighbors' health and property, pass the cleanup costs along to taxpayers and still meet the "nonhazardous" definition. It's likely that legislation like this would keep Oklahoma's Attorney General from seeking Superfund dollars to clean up abandoned Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) or making any animal waste polluter responsible for damage under Superfund laws. We don't want CAFOs next to their homes, family farms and businesses, especially if safety regulations are no longer adequate. Animal factory owners get the profits and should tbe responsible for cleaning up their own messes -- not pass the cost along to taxpayers. Please vote NO on HB 1470.

PLEASE VOTE NO ON HB 1392 - Environmental plans should not give polluters a "free pass."

HB 1392, which is also on the House calendar for Monday, 02/26/07, sets up a fragmented, unworkable system guaranteed to provoke more controversy and much greater risk to clean water in Oklahoma. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s) following resource conservation management plans, required by this legislation, would be presumed to be in compliance with the law – no matter how much they were actually polluting Oklahoma streams, reservoirs and aquifers. This legislation gives immunity to high incidence polluters with failing environmental plans, while passing along the clean up costs to taxpayers. The plans are just another layer of paperwork on top of all the existing paperwork required. No funding is allocated to pay for additional work assigned to agencies responsible for oversight.
Our Centennial year is the wrong time to weaken Oklahoma laws that have maintained clean water and clean air in our state for the last 10 years. We don't want to end up like Arkansas with its compromised water, damaged reputation and loss of tourism. Please vote no on HB 1470, HB 1392 and similar legislation.


House of Representatives Email Addresses:

dennisadkins@okhouse.gov; donarmes@okhouse.gov; johnauffet@okhouse.gov; garybanz@okhouse.gov; chrisbenge@okhouse.gov; scott.bighorse@okhouse.gov; lisajbilly@okhouse.gov; gusblackwell@okhouse.gov; davidbraddock@okhouse.gov; neilbrannon@okhouse.gov; mikebrown@okhouse.gov; ed.cannaday@okhouse.gov; johncarey@okhouse.gov; lancecargill@okhouse.gov; wallace.collins@okhouse.gov; anncoody@okhouse.gov; mariancooksey@okhouse.gov; jamescovey@okhouse.gov; dougcox@okhouse.gov; david.dank@okhouse.gov; david.derby@okhouse.gov; daledewitt@okhouse.gov; joedorman@okhouse.gov; rexduncan@okhouse.gov; jerryellis@okhouse.gov; john.enns@okhouse.gov; george.faught@okhouse.gov; darrellgilbert@okhouse.gov; larryglenn@okhouse.gov; rebeccahamilton@okhouse.gov; terryharrison@okhouse.gov; jwhickman@okhouse.gov; weshilliard@okhouse.gov; chuck.hoskin@okhouse.gov; terryhyman@okhouse.gov; terryingmire@okhouse.gov; scott.inman@okhouse.gov; mikejackson@okhouse.gov; shanejett@okhouse.gov; dennis.johnson@okhouse.gov; robjohnson@okhouse.gov; tadjones@okhouse.gov; fred.Jordan@okhouse.gov; charlie.joyner@okhouse.gov; sallykern@okhouse.gov; charles.key@okhouse.gov; kiesel@okhouse.gov; luckylamons@okhouse.gov; guyliebmann@okhouse.gov; allindley@okhouse.gov; ken.luttrell@okhouse.gov; scott.martin@okhouse.gov; stevemartin@okhouse.gov; al.mcaffrey@okhouse.gov; mccarter@okhouse.gov; mark.mccullough@okhouse.gov; jeanniemcdaniel@okhouse.gov; randy.mcdaniel@okhouse.gov; ryanmcmullen@okhouse.gov; skye.mcniel@okhouse.gov; jerrymcpeak@okhouse.gov; kenmiller@okhouse.gov; dannymorgan@okhouse.gov; richardmorrissette@okhouse.gov; jason.murphey@okhouse.gov; billnations@okhouse.gov; ronpeters@okhouse.gov; pampeterson@okhouse.gov; ronpeterson@okhouse.gov; gregpiatt@okhouse.gov; anastasia.pittman@okhouse.gov; eric.proctor@okhouse.gov; rcpruett@okhouse.gov; brian.renegar@okhouse.gov; mikereynolds@okhouse.gov; philrichardson@okhouse.gov; paulroan@okhouse.gov; waderousselot@okhouse.gov; colby.schwartz@okhouse.gov; earl.sears@okhouse.gov; tw.Shannon@okhouse.gov; mikeshelton@okhouse.gov; bensherrer@okhouse.gov; jerryshoemake@okhouse.gov; jabarshumate@okhouse.gov; glensmithson@okhouse.gov; krissteele@okhouse.gov; danielsullivan@okhouse.gov; randyterrill@okhouse.gov; mikethompson@okhouse.gov; todd.thomsen@okhouse.gov; suetibbs@okhouse.gov; johntrebilcock@okhouse.gov; daleturner@okhouse.gov; purcywalker@okhouse.gov; weldon.watson@okhouse.gov; paulwesselhoft@okhouse.gov; susanwinchester@okhouse.gov; treborworthen@okhouse.gov; johnwright@okhouse.gov;


For more information contact Jody or Tim at:


Tim Wagner
Colata "Jody" Harlan
426 Poplar Avenue
Yukon, OK 73099-2659
354-3189 hwinc@cox.net