This week the Yankton County Commissioners, sitting as a Board of Adjustment, voted three to two to send seven conditional use permit applications for hog operations back to the Planning and Zoning Board for further review. Opponents of the Confined Animal Feeding Operations want more information and the Commission wants Planning and Zoning to review that process. Commission Chairman Don Kettering says the more information they can get the better.

He says the applicants have done a good initial job in providing information. However, the CAFO opponents want the County Commission to have more data before they make their decision.

Commissioner Ray Epp voted against sending the applications back to the Planning and Zoning Board. He believes the CAFO operators have provided the information require. Plus, there’s another review step to follow and that’s through the state Department of Natural Resources.

Besides Epp, Commissioner Gary Swenson also voted against sending the applications back to the Planning and Zoning Board.