Media Release

Champaign, January 24, 2000: In its recently published 2000 Policy Resolutions, the Illinois Farm Bureau continued to stand by positions that are detrimental to Illinois’ rivers, water quality, and the environment in general. The annually published Policy Resolutions outline the positions that Farm Bureau lobbyists and public relations professionals will pursue with federal and state legislators and government officials.

Prairie Rivers Network, a statewide river conservation group based in Champaign, has carefully reviewed Illinois Farm Bureau policies in the past. In 1999, Prairie Rivers Network published "Dirty Water, Dirty Business," a report on Illinois water quality, the impact of the agriculture industry on Illinois’ rivers, and the Illinois Farm Bureau’s stances on these issues. Copies of the report can be obtained by contacting Prairie Rivers Network.

"As in years past, the Illinois Farm Bureau continues to insist that the agriculture industry should not be held accountable for the water quality problems it causes," said Robert Moore, Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network.

Over 85% of the rivers that fail to meet state and federal water quality goals are impacted by pollution from the agriculture industry. According to Illinois EPA it will cost Illinois taxpayers tens of millions of dollars to correct the damage.

"You’d think the Illinois Farm Bureau would be interested in finding long term solutions to problems caused by the agriculture industry," said Moore. "That’s what responsible advocates for other industry groups do."

Many of the criticisms of Illinois Farm Bureau policies which Prairie Rivers raised in "Dirty Water, Dirty Business" remain true for 2000. Prairie Rivers’ examination showed little to no change in language on issues concerning agricultural pollution and environmental protection, river issues, water quality, river conservation districts, heritage areas, and wetlands.

"The Illinois Farm Bureau has taken an obstructionist stance in the past, and will do so in the future," Moore stated. "In 2000, you can look for the Farm Bureau to attempt to disrupt the river clean-up plans required by the Clean Water Act, and work to exempt the agriculture industry from implementation of those plans."

The agriculture industry is the number one source of water pollution in Illinois according to Illinois EPA and Illinois DNR. The Illinois EPA recently reported that almost 11,000 miles of streams are impaired by the agriculture industry. An additional 3,500 miles of streams are impaired by channelization, dredging, and streambank destabilization, which occur in large part from the activities of the agriculture industry.

Some of Illinois Farm Bureau’s anti-environmental stances include:

• Opposing development of river clean-up plans, even though over 85% of the rivers not meeting water quality goals are impaired by agricultural pollutants;
• A continuing call for "sound science" that delays progress, drains research resources and taxpayer dollars, and diverts attention from the flood of existing scientific studies linking agriculture to water pollution and drinking water problems. The Tobacco Industry used the same tactic when scientific studies linked smoking to cancer;
• Actively resisting attempts to hold the agriculture industry accountable for the pollution it creates and ignoring the impacts it has on downstream landowners and communities. Illinois Farm Bureau supports voluntary, incentive-driven measures over any other solutions;
• Resisting the enforcement of environmental laws already on the books, and seeking to weaken these laws through lobbying efforts, including elements of the Clean Water Act and policies which protect wetlands; and
• Championing the rights of drainage and levee districts that are often involved with the physical destruction of streams and the degradation of water quality.

The Illinois Farm Bureau owns in whole or in part insurance and agriculture companies, including companies that manufacture or sell agricultural chemicals, blurring the line between pursuing policies that benefit the agribusiness industry and policies that would benefit the family farmer.

"Prairie Rivers recognizes the tremendous effort that Illinois’ family farmers have invested in conservation and stewardship efforts," said Moore. "It’s too bad the Illinois Farm Bureau hasn’t put forth a similar effort."