Oregon Department of Agriculture asks public to comment on new large-scale farming rules

Mason Kennedy, Oregon News Service

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregonians have until Monday, July 22 to submit comments on new environmental restrictions for the state’s largest farms.

When the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 85 last year, it signed into law the rules for confinement feeding operations. Now the Oregon Department of Agriculture is working to implement them.

Brian Posewitz, general counsel for WaterWatch of Oregon, said the new rules will help protect one of Oregon’s most important natural resources.

“All Oregonians should care about this because all Oregonians should care about our water resources, both in streams and rivers and in groundwater,” Posewitz said. “Because these water resources are valuable to everyone.”

The rules mean more closely monitoring how much water large farms use and considering scaling up operations to reduce nitrate contamination of groundwater from manure. The move to protect Oregon’s water resources comes as the state reenters wildfire season.

While water is important in Oregon, regulations often come at a price. Larger farms may have more restrictions on where they can plant, dispose of waste, and use water. The Oregon Farm Bureau predicted that stricter regulations would affect people’s visits to the grocery store.

Lauren Poor, vice president of government and legal affairs for the office, says the new rules will make it harder to buy local and questions whether the changes are justified.

“There was no clear indication that this program needed to be changed to protect Oregon waterways or Oregon water resources,” Poor said.

Poor said the previous rules worked, and it could be difficult for manufacturers to keep changing them. The deadline for public comments to the ODA is July 22, before the rules are finalized later this summer.