HAVANA, IL -- Citizen action works. From a news release:
Mason County Residents Get Early Christmas Gift: Swine CAFO FSA Loan Withdrawn
Residents in Mason County, Illinois, specifically in the populated area of Peterville, breathed a sigh of relief upon notification by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 that a Farm Service Agency (FSA) government loan application for a new swine concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) proposal has been terminated.
A Dec. 23 memo from USEPA Region 5 to residents in and near Peterville, which was established in the late 1800s and sits adjacent to the site, stated that “based on recent communications with USDA-FSA on 10/26/2021, 11/12/2021, and 12/21/2021, EPA Region 5 understands that the applicant has withdrawn the funding application for this project.”
The proposed 2,480 head CAFO has drawn considerable opposition from area residents and has been extensively covered by local media since March 2021. It was to be constructed over the shallowest point of the Sole Source Mahomet Aquifer in Mason County. The aquifer provides drinking water for over 500,000 residents in Illinois and posed a threat of contamination to the aquifer and shallow sand point wells of residents living near the site.
Fanter Farms applied for a Beginner Farmer Loan through the USDA direct and guaranteed FSA loan program. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), FSA is tasked to consider the environmental and cultural resources effects of government loans through its program.
Many Illinois residents and members of the Mason County Concerned Citizens (MCCC) coalition submitted individual and group comments to the FSA on the potential impacts of the project on the surrounding community and beyond. Issue concerns raised included the impacts to the Sole Source Mahomet Aquifer and shallow sand point wells in a populated area adjacent to the site, local infrastructure costs, property devaluation, the threatened species of Illinois Chorus Frog in the area, and the proven public health impacts of families who reside near CAFOs and manure application sites.
Experts and residents also submitted public comments to FSA on its “finding of no significant impact“ (FONSI) report by the FSA with a request to deny the loan or to perform an Environmental Impact Statement review.
“The FSA only performed a cursory examination or Environmental Assessment (EA) when a more thorough and comprehensive Environmental Impact Study should have been carried out, especially due to the impact on the Mahomet Aquifer,” said Hugh McGarry of the Mason County Board and spokesperson for the MCCC. “But most importantly, the loan decision by FSA of FONSI was based on faulty and incomplete information.”
“The MCCC coalition vows to remain vigilant in their efforts to preserve quality of life in their community,” stated Karen Hudson of the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project. They have joined with others such as the statewide Illinois Coalition for Clean Air and Water in educating the public and elected officials about the devastating impacts wrought on rural communities from loosely regulated CAFOs,” stated Hudson.
About Mason County Concerned Citizens
The Mason County Concerned Citizens is a growing coalition of farmers and residents calling for more stringent regulations regarding industrial animal feeding operations. Follow them on Facebook at The Mason County Hog Farm Forum.
About Socially Responsible Agriculture Project: SRAP informs the public about the negative effects of industrial livestock operations—also known as factory farms or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)—while providing direct assistance to communities impacted by this destructive industry. Through education, advocacy, and community organizing, SRAP empowers people to protect public health, environmental quality, and local economies from the damaging impacts of factory farms, and to advocate for a socially responsible food future. For more information, visit www.sraproject.org.
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