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GAO: Arkansas poultry farms 'area of concern'FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP)--Federal researchers reporting on environmental pollution controls over animal waste produced by huge farms say poultry operations within the Arkansas-Oklahoma border region were an "area of concern." Arkansas was among the states visited by researchers for the General Accountability Office, which released its report this month. The researchers noted that two northwest Arkansas counties alone raised more than 14.2 million broiler chickens, producing more than 471,000 tons of manure a year. "According to (environmental) officials, the Arkansas-Oklahoma border is an area of concern due to the number of poultry operations--primarily broilers, but also turkeys and layers--within this area," the report said. The researchers found, in general, that while some huge livestock farms produce more raw waste than big cities, federal regulators are failing to control the pollution or assess health risks associated with the raw waste. The GAO report said that no federal agency collects data on the number, size and location of "Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations," as the big farms are known. But U.S. Rep. John Boozman, R-AR, said more oversight is not needed. "It is refreshing to see Washington, D.C.-based government investigators admit they don't have a clear picture of what's going on out on our farms," said Boozman, who represents northwest Arkansas. Boozman said Arkansas farmers were already taking aggressive steps to put in place land management practices necessary to improve and preserve water quality, for instance. "My experience as a former cattle rancher is that most farmers recognize that they depend on the land and clean water for their livelihood," he said. "Most farmers want to be partners in conserving our land and water. What we need is more partnership and cooperation, not a heavy-handed government approach." But the GAO report noted changes in America's farming operations. "Over the last 40 years, diversified, independent, family-owned-and-operated farms that produce a variety of crops and a few animals are becoming a smaller share of the agricultural sector and are being replaced by fewer, much larger farms," the report said. "For animal production, this change has meant a shift to significantly larger operations that can raise, for example, as many as 2 million chickens or 800,000 hogs at one facility at one time," it said. 10/6/08 Date: 10/2/08
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