Reservations about Hog Confinement Project Expressed
NORTH CAROLINA - The Hancock County Board of Supervisors has collectively come to the decision that a permit for construction of a hog confinement project proposed by Prestage Farms is to be denied.However, Supervisor Sis Greiman said since the project meets the necessary requirements under the state’s master matrix, the supervisors’ action won’t stop construction of the hog facility, reports the Globe Gazette.
Prestage Farms, a North Carolina-based corporation, applied for a construction permit to build a 4,800-head hog confinement in Amsterdam Township.
At Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, opponents of the project produced a petition containing 74 signatures from neighbors against the project.
Eleven residents spoke at the meeting expressing concerns about the project’s distance from water sources as well as the concentration of hog facilities in Amsterdam Township.
“There were so many people there that had reservations about it. Rarely do we have that many people come to a hearing,“ Greiman said in explaining the board’s vote.
The recommendation will now go to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for a final determination on the permit.
“They’re (the DNR) going to look at our reasons for denying this and say that’s nice, but it’s approved,“ Greiman.
In addition to the proposed 4,800-head site, Prestage Farms has also proposed to build two 2,480-head facilities in Amsterdam Township. These sites do not require a construction permit.
View the Globe Gazette story by clicking here.