NASHVILLE (AP) – State Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Mancini is calling on Republican state Rep. Andy Holt to resign over alleged environmental violations at his northwestern Tennessee hog farm.
The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking up to $177,500 in fines against Holt for discharging a total of more than 860,000 gallons of waste water from lagoons on the farm without the proper permits.
Holt on Friday laughed off Mancini’s call that he step down from his seat in the General Assembly, saying that he plans to remain an outspoken critic of the EPA and President Barack Obama.
Holt, who ceased operations on the hog farm in December, stressed that he self-reported the discharges to the state after heavy rainfall had caused the lagoons to overflow.
