Profits

1
Profits Pork Chops or Pollution

• Mike Masterson
• Van Brahana

2
Perceived Problems-1

• No public announcement of this CAFO
• Secretive nature of most transactions, with
  apparent disregard for most of the concerns of
  legitimate stakeholders
• General Permit requirements are scientifically
  inadequate and strongly favor special interests
• ADEQ provided inadequate review of the permit,
  which was replete with errors.
• Claim of added employment. Actual jobs added10
• Impact on tourismdirectly (huge)
• Impact on tourismindirectly (more than huge)

3
Perceived Problems-2
2-1 No study of karst or groundwater, which
represents a significant component of water
budget 2-2 Concentration of wastes allowed to
leak is 5000 gallons per day per acre by the
General Permit calculated value is 3400 gpd per
acre (Marysia Jastrzebski, P.E., ADEQ
retired) 2-3 No background water quality
established in the basin. 2-4 A long history
of CAFO problems for industrial agri (example
Neuse River Basin, North Carolina)
4
Perceived Problems-3
3-1 The existing nutrient contaminant load of
Big Creek is near the limit of what the basin can
accept 3-2 Existing Best-Management Practices
(BMPs) applied to local farmers are not well
observed 3-3 Distraction, obfuscation, delay
from CAFO-related problems does not give
confidence ADEQ response is relevant 3-4
Framing of the problem by the industry excludes
discussion of possible alternatives, which may
likely offer a meaningful solution to the problem.
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(No Transcript)
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Deceptive Tricks in a World of Disinformation
Fear mongering Misnomers Experts for
hire Obfuscation Unnecessary complexity Reliance
on legalese Fast and loose with
statistics Baseline bluff Regulation
manipulation Falsehoods
Mondified from Tracey-Kay Caldwell UnSpun
Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation
7
The moon landing was faked
Source National Geographic, March 2015
8
Smoking is not harmful
Smoking is not harmful to your health
9
Location
Physiographic regions
Ozark Highlands
Graphic modified from Rob Jacobson, USGS
10
Scientific Justification

• Mass of animal waste from 6500 hogs 15,000
  humans
• No treatment of waste stored in open lagoons
• Untreated waste spread on lt 1 mile2 of fields
  overlying karst
• Thin soils typically overlie karst
• Only cursory geology was described in the notice
  of intent (NOI)
• No mention of karst was addressed in NOI
• No mention of groundwater was covered in NOI
• No background groundwater quality was established
  in the NOI
• Our study was undertaken to fill the void of
  relevant,
• essential science missing in NOI.

11
Concerns Associated with Karst

• Complex flow is typical in karst aquifers
• Fast flow zones dominate karst aquifers, thereby
  enhancing sediment transport as well as rapid
  contaminant movement
• Variation in permeability in karst aquifers is
  greater than in almost all other rock types most
  flow follows high permeability
• Water levels in karst aquifers require a thorough
  understanding of the flow zonestypically, water
  levels are not good indicators of flow
  directions
• There is little or no natural contaminant clean
  up in karst
• Interaction of surface- and groundwater is common
  in karst
• Flow systems in karst rocks are continually
  evolving, and exact flow-paths must be considered
  temporary and short term
• Each karst aquifer is a unique combination of
  more than 60 controlling influences, and thereby
  assessment of environmental risk requires a
  thorough study prior to action.

12
Big Creek Basin and areas of karst near the
Buffalo National River
CAFO
Modified from Chuck Bitting, National Park Service
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KARST FEATURES OBSERVED IN BIG CREEK BASIN

1. Dry stream reaches downstream from flowing
   reaches losing stream reaches
2. Sinkholes, swallets, estavelles,
   internally-drained depressions, shafts
3. Caves and cave streams
4. Numerous springs
5. Bedding-plane anastamoses significant
   dissolution along joints
6. Rapid groundwater flow
7. Significant surface- groundwater interaction
8. Presence of karst-forming formations

14
High discharge springs integrate flow from large
areas
15
Mountain outcrops
Sedimentary rock layers of Big Creek Basinnearly
flat lying, significant erosion Boone dominantly
mantled karst, with significant underdraining to
springs
Valley outcrops
Source Braden and Ausbrooks, 2003
16
Sinkholes and swallets capture surface streamflow
17
Thick limestones develop large caves
Photo courtesy of Chuck Bitting
18
Bedding plane anastamoses are fast-flow
mini-caves
chert above acts as pressure confining layer
dissolved limestone (bedding-plane
anastamoses) are fast-flow and high K
chert below acts as perching layer
3 cm
19
Dissolution along bedding planes and joints
creates significant porosity and permeability in
the rock mass
20
Throughout its area of occurrence, the Boone
Formation is known for its karst development
karst
karst
karst
karst
Source Braden and Ausbrooks, 2003
karst
21
Farm Fields Suitability for Hog Farm Manure
Application near Mt. Judea
Source ADEQ and buffaloriveralliance.org
22
Anomalous Water QualityMicrobesDissolved
OxygenNutrientsTrace MetalsAnimal HealthHuman
Health
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Sampling nutrient-rich spring covered in duckweed
Photo courtesy of Carol Bitting
25
ADEQ Argues that Big Creek Is Not Impaired.
Intensive eutrophication and DO values suggest
otherwise.
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2200 feet/30.5 hours
CAFO
spreading fields
school
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Substream springs reflect fast flow (2200 feet in
30.5 hours) from dye input sources which show up
as fluorescent green
28
Costs

• Air pollution (odor) is already noticeable
  Yes-gagging
• the contamination of rivers, streams, and
  groundwaters with concentrated animal
  wasteMultiple lines of evidence suggest it is
  already occurring
• animal welfare problems ? Not addressed
• significant shifts in the social structure and
  economy of Big Creek Basin Currently unanswered,
  but tourism very likely to be impacted because of
  public perception. Small farms are also
  impacted.
• Economics for clean-up is huge, seldom borne by
  Co.
• Timing for clean-up (P) will be decades or
  longer.

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Summary These data indicate that it is essential
to incorporate karst science and hydrogeology
into our permitting process for CAFOs on karst if
we intend to preserve these environments and
their contained water resources. Likewise,
open communication with all stakeholders, with an
emphasis on facts and science this needs to be
one of our guiding principles.
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Proposal

1. Include all stakeholders at the table exclude no
   one
2. Demand an environment of openness
3. Verify and document all facts aspects of the
   problem
4. If disinformation or lies are evident, confront
   them
5. Be respectful, but be firm
6. Use an holistic approach to the problem,
   including scientific and human considerations
   that are relevant
7. Reframe the discussion to allow reasonable
   options
8. Above all else, base decisions on The Golden
   Rule.

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We all live downstream
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brahana_at_uark.edu
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Our Diverse Team of Volunteers
Dr. Joe Nix , Ph.D., Ouachita Baptist University,
Chemistry Retired Dr. Steve Johnson, M.D.,
Internal Medicine MANA Retired Ray Quick, M.S.,
P.G., Operations Manager, Woodward-Clyde
Consultants and URS Corporation
Retired ADEQ-Water
Hazardous Waste Retired John Murdoch, B.S.,
Division of Agriculture-Instrumentation,
U of A
Retired Brian Thompson, B.S., Tyson, Inc.
Retired Teresa Turk, M.S., NOAA, Ecology
Retired Carol Bitting, Newton County liason
Field Coordinator Victor Roland, M.S.,
Environmental Dynamics Ph.D. Student Katarina
Kosic, M.S., Political Science and Karst Ph.D.
Student Me, Ph.D., U of A Karst Hydrogeologist,
Retired USGS Research Hydrologist, Retired
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I am proud to say that my great-grandfather, Sam
H. Thompson, Quincy, Illinois, was president of
the American Farm Bureau Federation (1926-1927)