Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Notice of Violation followup

The Snohomish county health department has agreed that the regulation as written seems to have several problems; while it describes ways to feed garbage to pigs, that seems to conflict with their requirement to have the material be stored in "rodent proof containers".  You can have one or the other, but not both.   

"garbage" isn't defined in this statute, but it is in federal law.  Garbage contains meat or slaughter offal -- this is solely vegetables and fruits.  I don't think that this material is properly regulated by the health department as it's not garbage as defined, but they believe it is. 

They agree that it may not fight into the "public or common nuisance" as described by WAC 246-203-010

So what do I do?  

Well...  the health department has asked me to work with the Snohomish county conservation district to either develope a protocol or a farm plan to allow the feeding of fruits and vegetables to pigs or other livestock. 

Yep.  So one agency refers me to another agency, and now I get to work with both of them. 

My biggest gripe is that these guys seem to think that i have all the time in the the world (not to mention willingness to pay legal fees and costs) to work with them. 

Each of these agencies has the belief that their demands are reasonable.  "Were only asking for 10%, after all!" but the cumulative effect of dealing with all of these guys and their agendas is a tax that I am really hating having to pay. 

I'll keep you apprised as always. 

4 comments:

sheila said...

good luck

Dave said...

So whatever happened with the wood chip issue ?

Anonymous said...

Asking for 10% of what?

BigGAdawg said...

Do they know that a pig will eat a mouse--rodents are thus controlled.