Group Chair's Corner

Rex Bavousett

Oh the joys of summertime! Organic vegetable gardens, vacations, and other summer fun come to mind. Unfortunately seeds of environmental woes appear. Here are some thoughts on how we can bring accountability to those who are not friendly to our living planet.

1) Vacations remind me of fuel and energy usage. Many people complain about gas prices and do not address the real problem of fuel efficiency standards. The biggest single step we can take to save oil and curb global warming is to raise miles-per-gallon standards for cars and light trucks. PLEASE call or write your Congressman and urge him to sign the Boehlert/Dicks Clean Car letter, being circulated by U.S. Reps. Boehlert (R-N.Y.), Dicks (D-Wash.), Greenwood (R-Pa.), and Waxman (D-Calif.) in support of fuel economy standards. The Boehlert/Dicks letter to President Clinton urges him to "work with Congress to implement" the law setting automotive fuel economy standards. The anti-environmental rider that has frozen CAFE standards since 1995 starts in the House. It is time to stop it so we can stop guzzling gasoline and slash pollution! Urge our Iowa representatives to sign the Boehlert/Dicks Clean Car letter, which now has more than 60 co-signers. Several recent signers have stated that they are hearing from their constituents. Your voices are being heard, so keep up the efforts. For more information contact jeffrey.bourne@sierraclub.org

2) Seeing wildlife thrills us all, but the North American buffalo, or bison, is being threatened in Montana. The return of bison is good for the environment and good for the ranchers. However, the state of Montana has been harassing the bison in Greater Yellowstone because ranchers fear the spread of brucellosis. There is no strong evidence that the disease, which only a few bison may carry, can be transmitted back to the cattle from which it came. Montana is waging a political battle against us all in a campaign to kill any wild bison that enter its state from Yellowstone National Park. Our tax money is funding their harassment campaign. In the past few weeks during calving season, they have flown helicopters, which have also harassed bald eagle nesting sites. Please write Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, Capitol Building Helena, Montana 59620. Email his press secretary, Anastasia Burton, at aburton@state.mt.us with a copy to Mark OâKeefe; State Auditor Capitol Building Helena, Montana 59620, or pbergen@mt.gov. Mark OâKeefe is the leading Democrat contender for the Montana governorâs seat. Here are two other people to write to. USDA Secretary Daniel Glickman, 200 A Whitten Bldg., 1400 Independence Ave. SW, DC 20250 email: Agsec@usda.gov.; President Bill Clinton, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20500, email: president@whitehouse.gov. Contact me if you are interested in viewing local buffalo herds or wish to know more.

3) With water sports, I begin to think of factory farms. Amazingly, the giant corporations that own the livestock at poultry and pig factories bear no legal responsibility for the massive water pollution these operations cause. To escape accountability, corporations contract with independent growers to raise the animals. When the EPA or state agencies issue Clean Water Act permits, the contract growers become the legally responsible party. The big corporations are off the hook if the farm causes pollution. This is not fair since these huge corporations dictate how the animals are to be fed, drugged, raised, and eventually slaughtered. Therefore, they should also take some responsibility for making sure that their animalsâ waste does not pollute water.

Please urge the EPA to identify both the corporation and the grower as "co-permitees" and hold corporate livestock facilities responsible when they pollute our water The Sierra Club has urged the EPA to take this step. The EPAâs draft of the Clean Water Act recommends issuing co-permits. But the wealthy, influential corporations strongly oppose these provisions, and as a result the EPA may back down and delete it from the final draft. Write to EPA Administrator Carol Browner, U.S. EPA, 401 M Street SW, Washington DC 20460. For more information, visit the Sierra Club CAFO web site at http://www.sierraclub.org/cafos.

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