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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Environment - Indiana CAFOs in the news; cows, chickens, pigs

"Indiana agency revokes permit for 3,500-cow dairy" - a brief AP story July 27th:

LAKEVILLE, Ind. —
Developers haven't given up their plans for a large dairy near South Bend, even though Indiana environmental officials have revoked its permit.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says it revoked the permit for the 3,500-cow Walnut Grove Dairy LLC in Lakeville, about 10 miles south of South Bend, because developers didn't start construction by April 2010 as required by the permit.

Property owner Peter van der Vegt of Fremont says he's appealing and Vreba-Hoff Dairy Development LLC still plans on building the dairy.

Marc Nelson of the St. Joseph County Health Department says the proposed concentrated animal is too close to nearby homes and poses a public health threat, and may violate a new county CAFO ordinance.

But see this long weekend story, dated July 25, reported by Alicia Gallegos of the South Bend Tribune, and headed "Proposed Lakeville dairy misses deadline Controversial CAFO on shaky ground."

"Two millions hens planned for Jay Co. operation" is the heading of a brief report in the Indy Star business section:

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says a Coldwater, Ohio, operator wants to build a confined feeding operation housing more than 2 million laying hens in Jay County.

The notice sent by IDEM is for Hoosier Pride Farms near Ind. 67. It would include six hen houses holding up to 2,013,984 birds, a manure storage building and eggwash discharge lagoon, reports the Commercial Review County Reporter.

Portland, the county seat, is about 95 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

In addition, Angela Mapes Turner had a long weekend story in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, dated July 25, 2010, and headed "Pork Industry starts recovery: Environmental concerns still to be addressed."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 28, 2010 01:36 PM
Posted to Environment