On April 19 in Oklahoma City, members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted to protect state farmers and ranchers from bogus lawsuits claiming manure is the equivalent of toxic waste.

Senate Bill 1444, by state Rep. Terry Hyman and Sen. Richard Lerblance (D.-Hartshorne), would ensure that animal manure is NOT categorized as hazardous waste by regulatory authorities. The bill states, “In no case shall manure be defined as or considered a hazardous substance or a hazardous waste…”

This bill does not change any water quality standards or state monitoring policy,” said Hyman D-Leon. “It simply brings common sense to our regulatory and legal system. There’s 5.4 million head of cattle and 3.2 million people in Oklahoma. If animal manure is hazardous waste, then the entire state is a hazardous-waste area”.

The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Farmers Union and other grass-roots agriculture groups, has endorsed senate Bill 1444.

Hyman noted that environmental extremists have begun using regulatory harassment in their crusade to destroy traditional rural businesses. At the recent spring livestock show in Oklahoma City, officials from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality were called to the site in response to claims that animal urine was wreaking environmental havoc.

“At the rate things are going, we’ll have to slap diapers on every cow before we haul them down the road in a trailer,” Hyman said. “It’s pretty ludicrous.”

Environmental extremist have based their claims on the fact that the trace amounts of chemicals can be found in manure but Hyman said that claim is just a red herring.

“Every livestock feed has a trace chemical nutrient in it, he said. “Why? It’s just like the vitamins you give your children. Those nutrients are needed to sustain growth.”

If lawmakers do nothing to prevent regulatory harassment of livestock producers, Hyman noted, there could be serious economic consequences.

For example, the annual American Quarter Horse Association show contributes $180 million to Oklahoma City’s economy each year. If manure is considered toxic waste and “Every time a horse moves out of a barn, we’re going to have to call a Haz Mat crew to clean up after them.”  Hyman said the show may move out of state.

At the same time, many of Oklahoman’s farms and ranches are small businesses that could be driven to bankruptcy by excessive heavy-handed regulations and lawsuits.

According to the U.S. Department of Agricultures National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were more than 56,000 cattle operations in Oklahoma in 2004 with more than 42,000 of those ranches running less than 100 head each.

Senate Bill passed the House of Representatives on a 68-27 vote and now returns to the state Senate.

AYES - 68

Armes, Don(R); Askins(D); Auffet, John(D); Balkman(R); Banz, Gary(R);
Billy,
Lisa(R); Bingman, Brian(R); Blackwell, Gus(R); Braddock(D); Brannon, Neil(D); Brown, Mike(D); Calvey, Kevin(R); Carey, John(D); Cargill(R); Case, Bill(R); Coody, Ann(R); Cooksey(R); Covey, James(D); Dank, Odilia(R); DePue, Dale(R); DeWitt, Dale(R); Denney, Lee(R); Deutschendorf(D); Dorman(D); Duncan, Rex(R); Ellis(D); Glenn(D); Harrison(D); Hickman, Jeff(R); Hiett(R); Hilliard(D); Hyman, Terry(D); Ingmire, Terry(R); Jackson, Mike(R); Jett(R); Johnson, Rob(R); Jones(R); Liebmann, Guy(R); Martin, Steve(R); Mass, Mike(D); McCarter(D); McMullen(D); McPeak, Jerry(D); Miller, Doug(R); Miller, Ken(R); Morgan, Danny(D); Morgan, Fred(R); Nance, John(R); Newport(R); Peterson, Ron(R); Piatt, Greg(R); Plunk(D); Pruett(D); Reynolds, Mike(R); Richardson, Phil(R); Roggow, Curt(R); Rousselot, Wade(D); Sherrer(D); Shoemake, Jerry(D); Smithson(D); Steele, Kris(R); Sweeden(D);
Terrill, Randy(R); Thompson, Mike(R); Turner, Dale(D); Winchester(R);
Wright, John A.(R); Young, Ray(R)


NAYS - 27

Adkins, Dennis(R); Benge(R); Blackburn(D); Cox, Doug(R); Gilbert(D);
Hamilton(D); Kern(R); Kiesel(D); Lamons, Lucky(D); Lindley(D); Liotta(R); Morrissette(D); Nations(D); Perry, Fred(R); Peters, Ron(R); Peterson, Pam(R); Roan(D); Shelton(D); Shumate, Jabar(D); Smaligo, John(R); Staggs(D); Sullivan, Daniel(R); Tibbs, Sue(R); Toure(D); Wesselhoft, Paul(R); Wilt, Mike(R); Worthen, Trebor(R) 
PRESENT-NOT-VOTING - 0