It would probably be entertaining if Jan Morgan and Gov. Asa Hutchinson debated, but instead we got dueling speeches last night at the Farm Bureau’s Measure the Candidate forum in North Little Rock.
The D-G’s Michael Wickline was on the scene and reports that among Morgan’s attacks on Hutchinson was the denial of a new permit for C&H Hog Farm by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality earlier this year. That’s a novel idea, and honestly most of Morgan’s previous attacks have been a little too wonky to catch hold, in my opinion. Other than the failed gun giveaway, Morgan’s campaign just hasn’t been as wacky as promised. Compared to Donald Trump’s racist-uncle expectorations of grievance, Morgan sounds like Paul Tsongas. Why critique the finer points of the tax commission if you can accuse Hutchinson of conspiring with the vegetarians and tree huggers?
Having reported on the kerfuffle over the hog farm in Newton County, I can confirm that there are some Trumpy culture warriors in rural Arkansas who don’t much like environmental regulations. “I don’t mind you coming to enjoy my area,” one local explained. “But don’t tell me how to do it.”
C&H, the concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) near the Buffalo River that fattens pigs for slaughter for a Brazilian meat processing conglomerate, has continued to operate on an expired permit while it appeals ADEQ’s denial and also seeks a new type of permit. Critics allege that the original permitting process was flawed and violated the law, and that the more than 2 million gallons of manure and wastewater generated annually by the facility are an existential threat to the vulnerable terrain and ecosystem of the Buffalo River watershed.
Pig shit. Vulnerable terrain. This is Morgan’s sweet spot.
Wickline reports that Morgan opined, “my Department of Environmental Quality will not be used to hurt farmers. … All the governor had to do on C&H is make a phone call and say, ‘Hey, if there is a pollution issue there, then you go in and help these people fix it. You don’t yank their permit and put them out of business.”
Vote for Morgan and let the manure flow.