ADEQ: No pollution leakage from hog farm near the Buffalo River

Officials with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) have said their review of a drilling study of the C&H Hog Farms in the Buffalo River Watershed shows no sign of pollution from waste storage ponds at the farm.

In a note released late Thursday (Jan. 19) afternoon, the ADEQ said a “multi-disciplinary, internal-review team at ADEQ – consisting of a Professional Engineer, a Professional Geologist, and scientists – reviewed the study’s findings while considering additional information derived from questions posed by concerned citizens.”

The drilling and report was managed by Little Rock-based Harbor Environmental and Safety.

“This study and advanced technological review demonstrates the commitment the Governor has made to protect the vitality of the Buffalo River and its watershed as a valued natural resource to our state,” ADEQ Director Becky Keogh said in the short statement. “This project demonstrates the kind of science-based approach that ADEQ applies in carrying out our mission and the mission of the Governor. The study was a remarkable effort, and I commend the full project team for their professionalism, expertise, openness, and competency to better inform the public and our regulatory decisions in the future.”

The controversial C&H Hog Farms is capable of housing 6,500 swine, and opponents of the farm fear waste runoff will pollute nearby Big Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo River six miles away.

In September, Gov. Asa Hutchinson created the Beautiful Buffalo River Action Committee. The committee held a series of public meetings to receive feedback on the development of a Buffalo River Watershed Management Plan.

Potential pollution from hog farms will be a controversial issue the committee faces. In August 2015, the Pollution Control and Ecology Commission ordered a five-year ban on new permits for large swine factory farms on the watershed. Those affected by the hold on permits includes farms with at least 750 swine weighing over 55 pounds or 3,000 swine weighing less than 55 pounds.

The drilling and a Dec. 1 report by Harbor Environmental have been questioned by the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance. The alliance had pushed for the drilling study after receiving 250 pages of documents from the U.S. Geological Survey in January, Watkins said. It previously filed a Freedom of Information Act request. In the documents, an email exchange showed possible waste movement and some reason for concern.

Alliance President Gordon Watkins in December questioned the drilling work, saying it was not “industry standard.” (Talk Business & Politics has attempted to contact Watkins and will update this story when he responds.)