Environmental risk specialist

T minus 43

A Tale of Two Dairies

'Barry Estabrook's heartbreaking article about the U.S. dairy system, begins with the suicide of a small dairy farmer. With milk selling for almost half of what it costs to produce and a handful of large farms dominating the market, it's no wonder the small dairy is in trouble. But it doesn't have to be that way.'

This article is only available until 31st March 2011 before it is archived. While it is still available you may like to read it.

http://legacy.ucpress.net/doi/pdfplus/10.1525/gfc.2010.10.4.48

Our water's polluted? Let them drink milk!

'According to the state environment department, at least two-thirds of the groundwater underneath or adjacent to New Mexico's dairy CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) has been poisoned by nitrates.'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/regina-weiss/new-mexico-governor-susan_b_805853.html

Environment, Health and Safety Committee - Environmental Risk Assessment

'This Note was produced by a Working Party of the Environment, Health and Safety Committee [EHSC] of the Royal Society of Chemistry.'

http://www.rsc.org/images/Environmental_Risk_Assessment_tcm18-122341.pdf

Additional document submitted by Nocton Dairies Ltd - 290866

I see Nocton Dairies Ltd have provided their own risk assessment evaluation for 'Slurry and Digestate Management System Assessment of Risk', much of it courtesy of an input from MA Shepherd Ltd (which only refers to 'ADVICE FOR RISK ASSESSMENT AND DRAFT SPECIFICATION FOR 200mm DIAMETER PE SLURRY PIPELINE').

There are many specialist firms that could have been contracted by Nocton Dairies Ltd to provide environmental risk management and insurance services, but for some reason it seems this opportunity was either decided against or overlooked.

Unfortunately, the impressive CV of Michael Shepherd doesn't seem to extend to environmental risk specialist, indicating someone who is eminently qualified to evaluate this particular type of intensive dairy development in its totality.

Furthermore, the enclosure of a couple of sales brochures is hardly the detailed technical information one might require in order to evaluate the quality of the products concerned.

The implications of a serious environmental contamination from this intensive dairy site and its concentrated outputs are just so huge, it would have seemed eminently sensible to contract a leading specialist authority to report on the many potential environmental risks.

UK - not an easy year for farmers

'The way the Nocton scheme has been communicated within the industry and to consumers has been widely criticised.'

This from one of farming's own trade publications - they admit the industry is polarised and that Nocton Dairies' were caught short by the level of interest in their scheme.

Scroll down to the 'Dairy' header in the article for more detail.

http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/150111/uk___not_an_easy_year_for_farmers_.aspx

EU - not an easy year for protesters either

Our European neighbours demonstrate in huge numbers against factory farming and other agricultural issues.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14780207,00.html

Planning Officers

If you have any questions about the final stages of the planning process, that you can't get answered from elsewhere, you may like to obtain clarification from the Planning Officer's Society who pursue 'good and effective planning practice within local government'.

http://www.planningofficers.org.uk/
_______________________________________________________