(Arnolds Park)– Controversy over a proposal by Jackson, Minnesota-based New Fashion Pork to build a four-thousand head hog confinement near the Little Sioux River in western Dickinson county is over…for now atleast.
Jay Moore, Environmental Manager for New Fashion Pork, announced today (Monday) they’ve withdrawn their construction permit application from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Moore says they took the action on the condition a committee be formed in Dickinson county to start working on a “good neighbor” policy similar to what’s in effect in Palo Alto that spells out where in the county large animal confinement operations are best suited.
However, some in the crowd left the meeting skeptical, questioning how productive those talks would be in light of the legislature failing to grant local control of such operations to the counties.
DNR head Jeff Vonk, in a recent visit to the Iowa Great Lakes, said such “good neighbor” policies are a joke…saying it’s a matter of time before an individual or company comes along in Palo Alto county that simply thumbs their nose at the policy and decides to put in an operation anyway.
Lynn Wallace, who lives near the site that was being proposed by New Fashion Pork, said it’s time constituents hold lawmakers feet to the fire and atleast get a tougher matrix system passed.
Dickinson county supervisor Wayne Northey says getting a committee put together to start working on a good neighbor policy will get underway soon.
Moore today (Monday) did not rule out the possibility of New Fashion Pork reapplying for a construction permit on the same site once a policy is established.
