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Quorum court updated on moratorium bill

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Jason Henson, of Mt. Judea, and a member of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Board of Directors, visited the Newton County Quorum Court at its regular meeting Monday night, Feb. 3. He gave an update on the status of Senate Bill 84 that if it becomes law will end the state moratorium on issuing, for example, confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) permits along the Buffalo River watershed.
The state currently maintains a temporary moratorium on issuing new permits for medium and large CAFOs along the Buffalo. The Department of Environmental Quality initiated the moratorium in 2014 after environmental concerns about the waste generated by a large-scale hog farm Henson and family members owned and operated on Big Creek near the river. The farm closed in late 2019 when the state purchased its assets.
The bill would require Legislative Council approval before any moratorium is put in place and would end any moratoriums already in place. It specifically calls out the Buffalo River Watershed in its language.
The bill has completed its initial readings on the Senate floor and was on the Tuesday, Feb. 4, agenda for the Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development committee, but that it was pulled from discussion.
Henson said the Office of the Governor is weighing in on the bill.
SB84 is sponsored by Sen. Blake Johnson (R-Corning) and Rep. DeAnn Vaught (R-Horatio).

Henson said the agriculture community in Newton County wants the bill to pass as it would prohibit state agencies from instituting a moratorium on the issuance of permits in watersheds and other bodies of water, specifically including the Buffalo River Watershed. It introduces a new section to the Arkansas Code, designated as 15-23-107, which states that a state agency, such as the Department of Agriculture or the Department of Energy and Environment, cannot impose a moratorium unless they first obtain approval from the Legislative Council.
Additionally, the bill declares that any existing moratoriums related to watersheds or bodies of water that were instituted prior to the effective date of this act will be unenforceable moving forward. This change aims to ensure that permit issuance continues without interruption, while still allowing for oversight by the Legislative Council if a moratorium is deemed necessary in the future.
Henson said the law would impact the entire state, not just the Buffalo River Watershed counties.
Newton County Quorum Court publicly endorsed the bill earlier and Henson said contacting state legislators would add weight in favor of the act during future discussions.



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