Martial Law Considered By Minnesota As Response To Foot And Mouth! By Lee Egerstrom - Staff Writer http://www.pioneerplanet.com/docs/home7.htm 4-19-1

Minnesota state officials said Wednesday they might ask the Minnesota Legislature for authority to declare martial law in Minnesota counties or regions if foot-and-mouth disease strikes livestock herds.

The governor has such authority now if a contagious disease imperils humans, said state Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson and officials at the Board of Animal Health. But the legal issues are not as clear in a crisis affecting animal health.

``What we would be dealing with is an economic disaster, not a human crisis,'' said Hugoson, speaking before a legislative panel.

Martial law, at least at it has been applied in the United Kingdom, would mean the state could use the Minnesota National Guard and law enforcement agencies to keep people from moving in or out of some communities. Children from contaminated farms would not be allowed to go to school, Hugoson said.

A task force from state agencies is working with the attorney general's office and governor's office to determine if emergency powers are sufficient or if a new statute ``with teeth'' is needed, Hugoson said.

State officials said they might seek additional funds from the Legislature to put contingency plans in place, given that the European outbreak could threaten agriculture, manufacturing and tourism industries in Minnesota.

Although there is no evidence of the disease in the United States, in comments before the start of Wednesday's hearing Hugoson said, ``I wake up with knots in my stomach every night.''

Hugoson, state veterinarian Tom Hagerty, and deputy state veterinarian Bill Hartmann appeared before the House Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Committee to brief lawmakers on contingency plans.

Groceries for farm families would be delivered in bags left by the side of the road. As was done in England, people would be restricted to their property for two to three weeks after health authorities determine that the farm has been decontaminated, he said.

Foot-and-mouth -- a virus spread via wildlife and people's clothes, shoes and vehicles -- was discovered in early February on a farm in northern England and since has spread to 1,300 farms in the United Kingdom. Outbreaks also have been reported in Ireland, the Netherlands and France. The disease, while not a threat to human health, requires large-scale destruction of livestock.

Although the disease is found in parts of Africa, Asia and South America, state officials said that the Midwest's ties to Europe, which bring a stream of passengers and goods to airports and ports, represent the largest threat to this country.

Hugoson said meetings with federal health, agriculture and trade officials have determined that states will need to act first if the disease is diagnosed on farms, zoos or in wildlife. Federal agencies would provide assistance after the diagnosis. About 30 states with large livestock sectors are making contingency plans now, Hugoson said.

An unresolved issue is how to protect a farm family from financial loss if livestock must be destroyed. The federal government is likely to offer an indemnity program that would pay an amount equal to the value of an animal lost to hoof-and-mouth, Hugoson said. However, he added that the real economic hardship would come from the loss of earnings from a breeding herd, not from an animal's initial market value.

Lee Egerstrom can be reached at legerstrom@pioneerpress.com or (651) 228-5437. © 2001 PioneerPlanet St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press TwinCities.com- All Rights Reserved

-- Concerned Citizen (CC@ready.or.not), April 19, 2001