(Spirit Lake)– Controversy over a proposal by New Fashion Pork to put in a four thousand head hog confinement on the Little Sioux River in western Dickinson county is threatening to pit urban areas of the county against rural.
Chris Murphy was at today’s (Tues.) board of supervisors meeting requesting the county initiate some sort of legal proceedings to try to stop the project. Murphy said it’s highly likely the DNR will approve a construction permit for the project and she says it’s crucial the county start gathering information so it can present its case in appealing the issuance before the DNR’s Environmental Protection Commission.
Murphy and others opposing large scale feeding operations say they’re not against FAMILY farms, but FACTORY farms.
But many farmers in the crowd, including John Boettcher of rural Spirit Lake, urged the supervisors not to act hastily. He says many smaller farmers are now depending on contracting with large operations in order to stay in farming. And, he says, no farmer wants to intentionally pollute a waterway, saying they also have to live in peace and harmony with nature.
New Fashion Pork’s permit application has gone before the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for its consideration. If it’s approved, Dickinson county will have 14-days upon notification of the approval to request a hearing before the DNR’s Environmental Protection Commission. The supervisors directed Assistant County Attorney Lonnie Saunders to seek a 30-day extension of that notification so officials will have more time to prepare for the hearing.
Saunders also recommended the supervisors hire an attorney or law firm that specializes in that area. The supervisors took no action on that matter.
Several supervisors expressed a desire for representatives on both sides of the issue to sit down to see if some kind of common ground can be found.
