A Nunda company that produces organic products has expressed its concern to local and state officials that New York’s organic industry may be in danger if hydraulic fracturing commences.
As explained by Once Again Nut Butter, a Nunda company that produces organic nut butters, New York is currently the third largest producer of organic foods in the U.S., and all 1,600 organic farms in the state could be in jeopardy of losing organic status, Gael Orr, communications maganger for Once Again said.
The company stated in its January newsletter that hydrofracking is exempt from a half dozen federal statutes: Safe Water Drinking Act; Clean Water Act; Clean Air Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and National Environmental Policy Act.
Such exemptions, referred to as the “Haliburton Loophole,” have left Orr scratching her head and wondering how this could be. With these exemptions, Orr wonders if the gas companies would have the moral fiber to take responsibility on their own.
Once Again is a company that prides itself on integrity. It’s slogan is, “We spread integrity,” and has been certified a Safe Quality Food; plus supports, through supplies and/or financially, a number of organizations locally and abroad.
Orr said not only is the New York organic farming industry in jeopardy, but also Once Again itself could lose its organic certification, according to its organic certifier, Oregon Tilth, if the hydrofracking industry causes groundwater pollution.
However, Orr noted, “Once Again Nut Butter, we’re lucky. If there was a water contamination issue in Nunda, we could still operate here. We could truck in our own water here, potentially. There’s different things we could do.”
Once Again’s nuts are already shipped in from out of state due to nuts not being produced in New York. Its honey products are not organic, but are supplied by honey farms in New York.
“If the bee population decreases due to pollution and contaminants, honey product may decline and make it hard to source local honeys,” she said.
She added that shipping in fresh water would raise the cost of production and make the company less competitive in a market where organic foods are already more expensive.
How to prevent Once Again’s decertification has not yet been determined. The company hopes that in the long run, it isn’t forced to move out of state.
