Factory farm expansions proposed in Jefferson County

Join up with Iowa CCI members and others in Jefferson County to stop a factory farm from expanding two operations. A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, December 22 at 4:00 pm at the Jefferson County Courthouse.  This is a key opportunity to show strong opposition to and challenge weak spots in the construction permit before your elected County Board of Supervisors, the developer and, most times, local press. 

Here's the release from Jefferson County Farmers and Neighbors:

JFAN has learned that local CAFO operator Ryan Robertson applied for construction permits on November 29, 2011 to expand two existing CAFOs in northeast Jefferson County. The CAFOs are located at 1031 Quince Avenue in Penn Township and 1083 Germantown Road in Walnut Township. Each CAFO presently has two buildings housing a total of 2,490 hogs at each site.

The expansions would add an additional 1,200 hogs to each location and entail constructing a new confinement building at each facility. JFAN is sending notification letters to all neighbors within a two-mile radius of the CAFOs. A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, December 22 at 4:00 pm at the Jefferson County Courthouse. This provides an opportunity for the public to learn about or comment on any concerns they have about the expansions. At this time, the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors plans to review the Master Matrix at Monday’s supervisors meeting, which is open to the public. The meeting will take place at 9:00 am in the Supervisors Office in the Jefferson County Courthouse. JFAN will attend the meeting and obtain a copy of the Master Matrix of both facilities to review. 

The Master Matrix is a 44-point questionnaire that evaluates how a CAFO’s siting and manure management practices impact the environment and community. Proposed facilities that would house over 2,500 hogs are required to file a Master Matrix, and they must achieve a score of 50% or higher to pass. 

Based on the Master Matrix and public hearing comments, the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors will recommend that the DNR either approve or deny the expansions. The DNR has final authority to approve any construction permits regardless of county input and can disagree with the county’s Master Matrix evaluation.

Counties that use the Master Matrix have the option to appeal a preliminary DNR permit approval to the Environmental Protection Commission if they feel a CAFO should not be built or expanded. 

Ryan Robertson currently operates four CAFOs in Jefferson County and also works as a manure applicator. JFAN is currently reviewing any prior violations incurred by Mr. Robertson. We encourage the community to attend the December 22 public hearing to learn more about these CAFOs and to voice any concerns you may have.

Please contact JFAN at 209-6600 or jfan@lisco.com if you have any questions or information about these two CAFO expansions. JFAN will publish this notice with updates on the Master Matrix scoring, if available, in next week’s December 14 Fairfield Weekly Reader. JFAN is a nonprofit, educational foundation that works to protect the quality of life of Jefferson County. We provide community education and support to residents who oppose CAFOs in their neighborhoods.