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Thursday, May 22, 2003 |
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Posted on May 16, 2003 Panel broadens hog farm bill
COLUMBIA -- A Senate Judiciary subcommittee broadened the scope of a bill Thursday that would protect industry in South Carolina from tough land-use and pollution rules imposed by counties. The bill, which originally applied only to hog farm regulations, was amended to include all industries. The subcommittee approved the amendment and will consider the full bill in meetings next week. Supporters of the bill said counties are imposing tougher regulations than the state, creating a patchwork of rules from county to county. Opponents of the bill say county governments know what's best for their communities, and prohibiting counties from making their own rules violates the state's home-rule law. Bill Amick, chief executive of the poultry company Amick Farms and former president of the state Chamber of Commerce, said county regulations have prevented some of his supplier farmers from raising birds. "Some people say this bill may damage home rule ... but that is simply not true," Amick said. Until the early 1970s, legislators controlled nearly every aspect of county operations, but in 1972 voters approved a plan to give county governments more responsibility. "This legislation does not limit or restrict the zoning powers of local government," Amick said. Local governments have the ability to zone land for agriculture, commercial or residential use and once that's done, the Department of Health and Environmental Control should regulate those businesses, he said. On the other side, Mildred Myers of Richland County told senators about her fight to keep chicken farms away from three housing developments in a rural area. She won her fight, but she said she had to learn about rules and regulations before finally convincing the county council the business should locate elsewhere. "Will this bill really protect the family farmer or will it make it easier for corporate farming interests to come into our state?" Mildred asked the subcommittee. "How can you have ironclad setbacks for every community in South Carolina?" Subcommittee member Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, said he toured a hog farm facility and was impressed with its sophistication. But, he said, he had reservations about limiting local governments' ability to regulate the industry. "I don't share the enthusiasm to move this bill along," he said. Sen. Daniel Verdin, R-Laurens, proposed the amendment to include all industry because to make the law consistent. "I believe that this is good legislation," Verdin said. "I believe we need to look at it broadly applied." South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Hunter Howard said the standard should be set at the state level to maintain economic balance among counties. |
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