Integrity is Bern Colleran’s middle name.

In defending his original guest column he as a retired journalist has now quoted the Corp of Engineers without providing who he talked to in his so called conversation.

Very convenient!

As a matter of fact I did Call Dan Johnson and Mike Hayes of the CORP in the Rock Island District office and shared with them Bern Collerans Quote “conversation” with the CORP. There response to me was “We made no such statement.”

Possibly Bern could provide this discussion with his source at the CORP or polish up on his journalistic integrity.

It’s interesting to note the way in which Anderson employs the letter in blogs and in the e-mail he sent to me. (See below) He just posts the letter without comment, as if the letter itself is self -explanatory and that its mere existence refutes whatever is posted above it. I suppose there are some who would actually point to the letter and say, “Well, look at this letter. It proves what Nic Anderson is saying.”

But Anderson and I know why he doesn’t comment. It’s because any claims he makes about the meaning of its contents would hold him to positions he knows to be false, and that’s legally dangerous. We also note that he clipped the date off the Johnson letter. His business ethics professor would say that’s disingenuous, too.

Nic Anderson doesn’t need to comment on the Dan Johnson letter when he posts it because he’s trusting that most readers will assume from the 2nd paragraph that IEPA has not done its job in processing the WQC application and that the waiver under the Clean Water Act is in play.

The regulatory person at Army Corps I talked to was puzzled when I related that the Traditions forces were using the Johnson letter in the way they have been. “I don’t see that that letter lends them any support,” was the understated comment.

The Army Corps person went on to give us the true meaning of the letter. “We were trying to find out if EPA had everything they needed from Traditions in order to make their decision on the Water Quality Certificate. We determined they had not, and that EPA regarded the application as incomplete. We agreed with EPA that they did not have a complete application, and that gave us stronger ground to not waive the requirement. Our thinking is that because water quality is the issue of controversy in this case, we will not waive the requirement for the 401 Certifcate. If they end up not getting a 401 Certificate, we will not certify them to build on portions of the 300 feet of stream.”

Surely the applicant (Traditions) should have known from their correspondence with IEPA over the past 2 years that that agency regarded the Traditions application as incomplete. IEPA must have indicated to Traditions that they wanted something else — more information, more compliance, something. So Traditions and facility engineer Maurer Stutz knew all along that the reason for IEPA’s failure to grant the Certification after 2 years was their own failure to provide information (or re-engineering or whatever was needed for compliance).

So, the upshot? The attempt to have Army Corps waive its requirement of the Water Quality Certification was an attempt by Rep Sacia and the Illinois Livestock Development Board (Nic Anderson) to do an end run around the state’s own legitimate regulatory requirements.

We understand Mr. Anderson’s attempt to influence the process. He is just a shill trying to avoid honest work and still earn a living. We still do not understand or condone Illinois State Representative Sacia’s attempt to convince others to ignore the regulatory prerogatives of the State of Illinois.

Bern Colleran
Warren, Illinois

Come on over for breakfast. I’ll scramble

you some eggs.

This would make good press over there.

Why havn’t they picked up on Sacia’s good works?

Feel free to call or email

217/622-7491

ILDG@ILFB.org

I would be real proud to “befuddle” this lesson to my children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pje69hExqwo

ANY private citizen who wishes to communicate with a government office is free to do so. I’m sure you know this, and have managed to wear out your welcome.
Beware livestock owners, hide your money in your mattress, Nic Anderson of the Il. Livestock Development Group is coming. He will lead you down the road to disaster just like A.J. Bos of Bakersfield CA.

There would have been no legal battle needed without Nic Anderson force feeding a 10,ooo cow mega dairy less than 2 miles from homes,businesses, schools, clinic, churches etc.43 lovely acres of manure atop the origin of the Apple River. The facility would be legally able to double every 2 years with no setbacks…..
Why don’t you set up the same proposal for Divernon, IL.?

Suzy John and Walter should be upset with Bern………Shame Shame!

FROM BERN COLLERAN 305 COLE ST., WARREN, ILL.

To: Brown Hodge, Carolyn, office of Governor Quinn
Cc: dave albee;
Subject: Here’s a development

Carolyn:

Left message for you earlier alerting you that the Attorney for the H.O.M.E.S. group (the Jo Daviess County MegaDairy issue) was going to contact you re: latest development in the saga. The attorney, Dave Albee
has gotten extremely busy for the next 24 hours on another legal development, so I volunteered to get the message to you.

And it is this:
If you’ll take 3 minutes to read the ATTACHED press release which we’re confident will get some press
up in the NW corner of the state, it will likely strike you, as it does us, that there is a serious disconnect between 2 of the state’s agencies on the issue.

We have, on the one hand:
The Department of Agriculture which continues to refuse to review its own approval last May of a permit for the Nora, Illinois Megadairy despite very numerous problems the department has had with details of the application even SINCE theapproval…………….As you also know, Governor Quinn’s letter to the Jo Daviess County Board was instrumental in securing the first official opposition to the factory farm 17 months ago.

Carolyn, forgive us, but we in Jo Daviess County cannot keep from thinking that it is time the Governor took action to stop the official charade being perpetrated by Dept of Agriculture.

>We think it’s time theGovernor hinted to the Ag Dept< that a review of this case would be a good thing for Illinois. The pronouncement by ISGS gives everyone, including even the Department of Agriculture, an opportunity to say,

'Well, in light of this clear evidence from ISGS, perhaps we ought to look at this issue again for the sake of the state's natural resources and the neighbors who rely on the State to fulfill its constitutional mandate to provide a healthy environment.'

Thanks for anything you can do to get this matter before the Governor who, we know from experience, will do the best thing.

Bern Colleran
Warren, Illinois

Walter Johnson

Mr. Allen Keller P.E.
Manager permit Section
Division of Water pollution Control
1021 North Grand Avenue East
Springfield Illinois, 62794

Subject: Section 401 Water Quality Certification for tradition Dairy, Jo Daviess County, IEPA log #C-0263-08

Dear Mr. Keller

We are writing regarding the permit application that we have from Tradition Dairy, and the attached letter from the applicant regarding your 401 Water Quality Certification.
We seek your comments on this matter.

We received the permit application nearly two years ago. Under the Clean Water Act,33 U.S.C & 1341(a), if a state fails to act on a request for water certification within one year, the certification is waived.

We are attempting to determine weather a waiver has occurred in this instance. Has your agency received a valid request for certification? If it did, when did this occur? Also, please provide any additional information on this matter so the Corps of Engineers can make an informed decision regarding waiver. Please provide your comments by 30 April 2010.

Sincerely
Daniel J. Johnson
Chief Regulatory Branch
U.S.C.O.E