(Milford)– Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources came under heavy fire Wednesday evening at a public hearing in Milford on a manure management plan.
The application for the plan was filed by John Derner for a four thousand head open cattle feedlot and a two-thousand head confined lot he currently operates southwest of Milford.
A new law requires public hearings be held on such applications when requested by the public. Such a request was filed in conjunction with Derner’s application.
Gene Tinker of the DNR’s Animal Feeding Operations Bureau told the crowd of about 80 people that the hearing in Milford was the first the agency has held on a manure management plan.
It didn’t take long for many in the audience to find some flaws in how the hearing was conducted. Several asked for specific locations as to where manure from Derner’s operation would be spread and/or knifed. Tinker didn’t have that information, saying he was only there to conduct the hearing, adding it was the public’s responsibility to review the application at the DNR’s regional office in Spencer.
That response didn’t sit well with many in the crowd, including Lower Gar resident Darryl Halling who criticized the DNR for not providing maps and other pertinent information at the hearing.
State Representative Mike May also vented some frustration at the DNR, saying quote…”If I go to a buffet I expect meat, so if I go to a meeting with the DNR and we’re talking about a plan, it seems to me the folks should have access to that plan, they should not have to drive to Spencer to get it.”…unquote.
Many who spoke in opposition to Derner’s plan expressed concern over smell and possible impacts on Mill Creek, which is on the DNR’s impaired waterways list.
Two people spoke in favor of Derner’s permit application, saying they’re confident manure from the operation would be applied responsibly and in accordance with terms spelled out in the permit application.
Tinker says comments from the hearing will be forwarded to the DNR’s regional environmental office in Spencer which will determine whether the plan meets state requirements. He says the permit will be issued or denied based on that determination.
