Senators Klobuchar and Smith betray Minnesota air-breathers: Seek to protect “big ag” CAFO pollution

Action Alert: Senators Klobuchar and Smith betray Minnesota air-breathers: Seek to protect “big ag” CAFO pollution

Contact information below:

Klobuchar and Smith are cosponsors of a bill to exempt “farms” (including giant animal feeding operations, CAFOs) from reporting “releases of hazardous substances from animal waste” and releases from the “application, handling, and storage of “pesticide products.” A focus of attention has been two highly toxic and smelly compounds emitted in large amounts from CAFOs: ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.

Read the bill here: https://www.fischer.senate.gov/…/400ea859-eb96…/edw18106.pdf . S. 2421 Read a gloating press release about it here: https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news… .

S. 2421 has 29 co-sponsors, 12 “Democrats” and 17 “Republicans.”

The ever-malevolent Farm Bureau calls the bill “A breath of fresh air for ag.” (Time out for a laugh.)

Consider the context: Minnesotans are experiencing lots of problems from CAFOs: air pollution, water pollution, stinks, dust. Health problems and diminished quality of life are what oversized animal feeding facilities bring. One might think that Klobuchar and Smith would be introducing legislation to get these problems under control. But no, they are seeking to reduce the weak protections environmental laws now provide.

Why do Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith seem to have no fear that betraying their constituents could cost them their seats on the Senate Gravy Train? Would it be different if we actually had a “two party” system in which both parties competed to show how much they could help the people. (Time out for laughing). I suppose they don’t fear the voters because they assume that no matter how often they betray us we’ll vote them back in anyway.

Neither Kkobuchar nor Smith seriously supports controlling drug prices or providing universal access to health care. They don’t support phasing out the hydrocarbon fuels that are cooking our planet. They don’t really oppose trump’s relentless attacks on democracy and governmental integrity. They will vote for increased war spending at every opportunity. “Corporate Democrats.”

ACTION steps you can take:

Make your calls and ask that Klobuchar and Smith WITHDRAW their support for S.2421.

Call Klobuchar: (202) 224-3244

Call Klobuchar’s State Director, Benjamin J Hill, 612-727-5220

Call Smith: (202) 224-5641

Call Smith’s State Director, Sara Jo Silbernail, (651) 221-1016 (This is Smith’s St. Paul office but has been going to voicemail.)

(Phone calls are generally more effective than emails because some staffer has to take time to deal with them.)

Alan Muller