|
Farmers and Rural Residents oppose Buffalo Run Buffalo Run CAFO Project
Marshall County Board votes to hold a public informational meeting
A brand new coalition calling themselves Farmers and Residents for a Responsible Agriculture has organized to oppose a massive new CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) that is planned in Marshall County Illinois.
Much of the public was unaware of the official notice of intent due to the failure of the Illinois Department of Agriculture to post it on their notice of intent web page in a timely manner.
The developer of the controversial Sandy Creek Lane CAFO in Marshall County near Wenona, Illinois now plans to build Buffalo Run, an even larger site in the same county. The CAFO will consist of a five-building breeding and farrowing CAFO housing approximately 7000 head of Swine over 55 pounds and 13,000 piglets.
A total of 22,000 animals will be housed in Saratoga Township, 1/2 half-mile east of LaPrairie Road and 3.5 miles northeast of Camp Grove Illinois. The Marshall County board voted on Monday to have a public informational meeting on the
project for the residents of the county.
The FRRA group says the massive project could forever change their neighborhood from the Impacts it will cause. Communities near CAFOs often suffer from the externalities such as frequent toxic odors and emissions, manure spills and runoff affecting water supplies, decreased quality of life, and ongoing road damages.
FRRA members also worry about the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens ( superbugs) in water and air. Research has demonstrated that residential exposure to air contaminants generated by hog confinement facilities affect and are not limited to the respiratory system, and immune system function, skin, more.
.
"We are looking forward to the meeting and know our county board will continue to listen to the farmers and residents who have invested their heart and soul in this area," said local farmer Vicky Waldschmidt, a former longtime Marshall County board member.
Sharon Dewerth, a farmer, former county board member, and one of the nearest residents of the project is also opposing the project which she says will be a detriment, not a welcome addition to the area. "The massive amount of urine and feces, dead animals, gases, airborne particulates, drugs, viruses, and bacteria from the barns and widespread manure application sites in our neighborhood will have an ongoing detrimental effect on the health and quality of life in our county,” said Dewerth.
The community is being assisted by the national nonprofit Socially Responsible Agricultural Project (SRAP) and the statewide coalition Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water (ICCAW).
“FRRA is well aware of the numerous loopholes in Illinois law that make the state attractive to CAFO owners, highlighted by the fact that no local control exists for residents,” stated Karen Hudson of Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water. “The group will continue appeal to the Marshall County board to pass a resolution against future CAFOs until stronger laws are passed.”
About Illinois Citizens for Clean Air & Water (ICCAW): Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water, a a state-wide coalition of family farmers and community groups advocating for sound policies and practices that protect the environment, human health, and rural quality of life from the impacts of large-scale, industrialized livestock production facilities in Illinois. For more information about ICCAW, please go to www.iccaw.org.
Karen Hudson,
SRAP regional representative
Illinois farmer and co-founder of ICCAW
|
Comments