SOME HISTORY OF THIS MOVEMENT

The original notification for permit application was filed in
the Hatch Citizen, a newspaper with very little circulation in our area. Neighbors
out jogging found the sign posted at the end of a very rough and remote county
road. This led to more investigation, discovery of the Hatch newspaper legal posting,
and ultimately to the formation of this organization called
 Caballo Concerned Citizens Group. This group has circulated petitions and
presented over 300 signatures to NMED, Sierra County Commissioners, and
various other governmental agencies. This is ongoing.
 
Citizens petitions against this facility location were circulated in the week around the 4th of July
holiday. Nine pages of petitions, 124 names, were sent to Sarah McGrath at NMED on July 16, 2007.
 
Forty four more were sent on July 30, another 77 were sent on August 14th, and another 65 on August 30.
Blank forms are still circulating.
This makes 310 signatures against this insanity so far. The first 245 plus the "Neighborhood Letter" below
were all presented to Sierra County Commissioners at the meeting on Aug. 16, 2007. The remainder will
be presented at the next meeting on Sept 20, 2007.
 
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LETTER
Sent Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested to John McCatharn 8-16-07
Received on 8-17-07.

A “Public Meeting” was held on October 24. A large group of local residents attended in opposition to this facility. The meeting was scripted and controlled and although many questions were asked, very few were answered.

NMED made presence to bolster dairy claims.

Here's the info.

 

A Public Hearing was held at the T or C Civic Center on November 7. This was a real eye-opener for locals to see how the actions of one can affect the lives of so many, and how unprotected we really are in our homes and lives.

The fight to protect ourselves continues.

Here's the info.
 
Everyone please be informed on this important issue facing Sierra County, and New Mexico as a whole. These facilities are being regulated and forced out of other states, and are looking for easy pickings in our state. The animal facilities surely have a place in our scheme, but not along the lakes and rivers that give the "Land of Enchantment" it's name. This is a huge state with many open and remote areas. A properly cited location would ensure total protection of our environment, and would not, as in the existing case, guarantee catastrophic loss from toxic pollutants.

Take action today to help protect our ground water, lakes, streams, and clean air.

Warnings have been issued by State Agencies about toxic blue green algae present in
Elephant Butte lake. Each picture below links to a newspaper scan from the
Sierra County Sentinel.

Sierra County Sentinel              Click the pictures for more.                   State Agencies

 

The Rio Grande is contaminated with E-Coli downstream from Percha Dam to Leesburg Dam. We already have these high levels of pathogens. What sane reasoning would place a point source(1) dairy at the very inlet to the River?

(1. designation by EPA for animal feeding operations)

Some of the following are Adobe pdf files, you can get the reader for free here.

Latest notice from NMED seems to indicate that the original intent of this application could have been to
hide this action from local citizens and governments, and in fact as you read it through, you'll realize that
none of the so called "public" actions took place in our community.
CLICK HERE for the notice.
 
Dear Friends in the Caballo/Arrey area.
This site is designed to help you find information and resources relating to the locating of a dairy operation in Percha Creek at the inlet flood plain of Caballo Lake and to help you stay abreast of any developments that may arise.
May 11, 2007. Parasol Farms made application to the NMED for a water discharge permit allowing 8,000 gallons daily and affecting ground water levels to 40 ft. Notice of application reportedly made in the Hatch Citizen. The sign is located at the end of CR-B042, and may be found by driving west 2 miles on that county road. Don't go in the rain, you'll need
4 wheel drive.
June 11, 2007, The EPA has listed the Rio Grande from Percha Dam to Leasburg Dam  for exceeding levels of pathogens - E-COLI. These areas are put on list of endangered waters.
 
Note: The term "pathogen" comes from the Greek παθογένεια,
"that which produces suffering."
To get to the sign, go south of I-25/187 intersection to the first road going west,
turn right, keep going, and going, and going...
UPDATED
A "second posting" was listed in the
Sierra County Sentinel on Friday August 31, 2007. This one had the potential to be somewhat more legal, it was at least
in the affected area within our county!!

 

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