Two Oklahoma state representatives have different view points on bills that would impact the poultry industry within the state. However, both representatives’ bills have the possibility of changing requirements for new poultry operations, regarding distance and operation size requirements.
According to the Enid News and Eagle, “House Bill 2534 by Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa — currently has requirements that are more stringent than those proposed in December by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the other bill, Senate Bill 873 by Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, currently has requirements that are much less stringent than those proposed by the department.”
Representatives' bill proposals
Blancett’s House Bill 2534 would enforce operations with 30,000 or more birds to be half mile (2,640 feet) from occupied residences, schools, cemeteries, parks or city limits, 500 feet from public highways or property lines, a quarter mile (1,320 feet) from a stream and 1,000 feet from water wells, Enid News and Eagle reported.
“Murdock’s Senate Bill 873, as introduced, would impose a 500-foot setback on poultry operations with 100,000 birds or more,” the same report said.
Background on poultry regulations
The new law suggestions are a result of a sudden boom in poultry farms in Oklahoma. The Tulsa Word recently reported that in 2017-2018, there was a surge in poultry operations that was concerning residents.
Current active registrations show that the highest production is split between northeast and southeast parts of the state. Growth in taking place in Delaware and Adair counties, the Tulsa Word report explained.
“The Oklahoma Board of Agriculture in early December seemed poised to adopt rules that would put setback requirements on new poultry operations with 30,000 or more birds,” Enid News and Eagle reported. Those requirements would have included units to be a quarter mile from occupied residences, a half mile away from schools and city limits, 150 feet from public highways or property lines, 200 feet away from streams, 100 feet away from private wells, 500 feet away from public wells and outside the 100-year floodplain.
However, on December 11 the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture choose not to act on the new set of rules. This would result in ultimately leaving the state’s current moratorium on such operations in place until May 31, 2019.
