The Calhoun County Iowa Board of Supervisors this week recommended that the State Department of Natural Resources deny a farm permit application for Burr Oak Growers. The company wants to build a 5,000 head hog farm in the county. Iowa Citizens For Community Improvement State Policy Director Adam Mason says the proposed swine operation is too closely located to a town and its water supply.
He says a dozen ICCI members raised environmental concerns about the swine operation with the Board of Supervisors.
Mason says by recommending denial of the permit the Calhoun County Supervisors also expressed their concern about the Master Matrix hampering their decision making on permits.
Mason says the Calhoun Board of Supervisors joined several other Supervisors across the state who want the Master Matrix improved.
Mason says ICCI backed fifteen different bills during the 2018 Iowa Legislative session that would have addressed permitting and regulatory issues with large scale farms but lawmakers failed to act on any of those.
