Hog farms: Permits must be strictly enforced
US - A decade-long legal battle between the operator of a large-scale hog farm in the Oktoc community of Oktibbeha County and nearby landowners and environmentalists concerned about alleged health problems and potential environmental damage was decided this week in favor of the hog farmer by the Mississippi Supreme Court.
4 December 2006
2 minute read
The high court on Thursday ruled Bill Cook's hog farm in Oktibbeha County is operating legally. The justices upheld a permit the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality granted Cook in 2002.
Neighboring residents complained for years that the odor from the hog operation made them sick. DEQ officials said the odor complaints were subjective.
The Sierra Club and local resident Everett Kennard said his family suffered severe respiratory problems because of the stench. He asked a judge in Oktibbeha County to reverse the DEQ's granting of a permit and argued that industrial hog farms should meet stringent air and water quality standards.
Source: Clarion Ledger
