The American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) Right to Farm Act would make factory farms, or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), immune from attempts by neighbors to protect themselves from sickening fumes and other environmental damage. The legislation uses such language as "generally accepted agriculture management practices" to describe these harmful operations. The model bill claims a farm cannot be found a nuisance as a result of a change in size (factorization) or use of new technology (genetic modification, excessive use of hormones for livestock, or manure disposal). This legislation ties the hands of state agricultural agencies when they try to protect neighboring homes, towns, and farms. The most insidious aspect of the bill is that any person who loses a nuisance complaint (which they would as a result of this legislation) must pay for court costs and attorney fees. If a person complains unsuccessfully more than three times in three years, they must also pay the state for the costs of any new investigations. This bill gives corporate farm operations a free pass to abuse and harm their neighbors, and allows them to impoverish these people when they complain.

Ran 2/25/02, 5/6/02