MONROE - After witnessing the approval process of a concentrated animal feeding operation firsthand, the Green County Land and Water Conservation Committee decided to re-examine its stance on a county-wide moratorium of proposed industrial farms.
Pinnacle Dairy LLC is a proposed CAFO in Sylvester Township with 5,800 cows planned to be built over 127 acres along County FF and Decatur-Sylvester Road. Owner Todd Tuls oversees large-scale dairy facilities throughout the Midwest and Nevada.
Committee vice-chair Russ Torkelson has spoken against increased oversight in the past. Following the committee's approval of Pinnacle Dairy Farm's application on April 6, Torkelson said he no longer felt comfortable with a lack of restriction allowing corporations more power than county officials.
"We had no say," Torkelson said. "Somehow we should be able to do something so we can charge for our professional fees. It's too much of a drain on our department."
In October 2015, the Sylvester Town Board passed a moratorium, which is a temporary stay of any CAFO development within the township, to allow time to study the possible impact a large facility would have on the area in October 2015. Following a review by the assigned science committee, a township livestock siting ordinance was drafted. The ordinance is aimed at any facility with more than 500 animals and required regulation specific to the area.
Sylvester resident Jen Riemer served on the science committee and co-founded Green County Defending Our Farmland, which has actively worked to restrict Pinnacle Dairy's development. The science committee found 75 percent of Green County groundwater sections "demonstrate significant risk" for contamination.
"It's gotta be in the right spot if we want water to drink," Riemer said.
She echoed the request of York resident Nana Showalter, who had been working to pass a moratorium in her township and urged consideration of a county-wide measure. The moratorium was a positive choice because "the committee has been bombarded with work ... there's nothing stopping new applications from coming to you," Showalter said to the committee.
Fellow committee member Jeff Williams co-owns a 1,800-cow CAFO in Green County. He said the scope of a project like Pinnacle Dairy's application to build calls for more funding.
Legally, the county can only require a $1,000 application fee to cover all costs regarding the process; Todd Jenson, county conservationist, estimates his department spent $50,000 in labor hours to investigate Pinnacle's application.
Williams proposed a new approach; charge $5, or even $10, per potential animal.
"What is $5,000 in the scope of a $30 million- or $40 million-project?" Williams asked. "The scope of what these projects are now, $1,000 is a drop in the bucket."The estimated cost of Pinnacle Dairy Farm is $35 million.
Williams added that when he built his farm in the early 2000s, county livestock siting law seemed to contain more common sense than the state laws enacted in 2006 and essentially forced on counties to adopt.
"That site up there, in my opinion, is not the place to put 5,000 cows," Williams said.
A moratorium had been considered in March 2016, when Torkelson went on record against the measure because he felt it would restrict farmers. The committee voted against the drafted ordinance, which would have lasted from April 2016 to May 1.
Member Kristi Leonard suggested waiting until the county-wide water study, set to be completed at the end of the year, could be finished. That way, she said, there would be other elements to include in reasoning for the moratorium ordinance, which needs to be based in health and safety.
"Maybe the timing needs to just be pushed back a little bit," Leonard said. "Educate ourselves on what we have. Put our thoughts in concise bullet points so we have a logical direction we're going instead of throwing darts at the wall."
Committee members decided to discuss the moratorium ordinance and take possible action during their June meeting.
Pinnacle Dairy LLC is a proposed CAFO in Sylvester Township with 5,800 cows planned to be built over 127 acres along County FF and Decatur-Sylvester Road. Owner Todd Tuls oversees large-scale dairy facilities throughout the Midwest and Nevada.
Committee vice-chair Russ Torkelson has spoken against increased oversight in the past. Following the committee's approval of Pinnacle Dairy Farm's application on April 6, Torkelson said he no longer felt comfortable with a lack of restriction allowing corporations more power than county officials.
"We had no say," Torkelson said. "Somehow we should be able to do something so we can charge for our professional fees. It's too much of a drain on our department."
In October 2015, the Sylvester Town Board passed a moratorium, which is a temporary stay of any CAFO development within the township, to allow time to study the possible impact a large facility would have on the area in October 2015. Following a review by the assigned science committee, a township livestock siting ordinance was drafted. The ordinance is aimed at any facility with more than 500 animals and required regulation specific to the area.
Sylvester resident Jen Riemer served on the science committee and co-founded Green County Defending Our Farmland, which has actively worked to restrict Pinnacle Dairy's development. The science committee found 75 percent of Green County groundwater sections "demonstrate significant risk" for contamination.
"It's gotta be in the right spot if we want water to drink," Riemer said.
She echoed the request of York resident Nana Showalter, who had been working to pass a moratorium in her township and urged consideration of a county-wide measure. The moratorium was a positive choice because "the committee has been bombarded with work ... there's nothing stopping new applications from coming to you," Showalter said to the committee.
Fellow committee member Jeff Williams co-owns a 1,800-cow CAFO in Green County. He said the scope of a project like Pinnacle Dairy's application to build calls for more funding.
Legally, the county can only require a $1,000 application fee to cover all costs regarding the process; Todd Jenson, county conservationist, estimates his department spent $50,000 in labor hours to investigate Pinnacle's application.
Williams proposed a new approach; charge $5, or even $10, per potential animal.
"What is $5,000 in the scope of a $30 million- or $40 million-project?" Williams asked. "The scope of what these projects are now, $1,000 is a drop in the bucket."The estimated cost of Pinnacle Dairy Farm is $35 million.
Williams added that when he built his farm in the early 2000s, county livestock siting law seemed to contain more common sense than the state laws enacted in 2006 and essentially forced on counties to adopt.
"That site up there, in my opinion, is not the place to put 5,000 cows," Williams said.
A moratorium had been considered in March 2016, when Torkelson went on record against the measure because he felt it would restrict farmers. The committee voted against the drafted ordinance, which would have lasted from April 2016 to May 1.
Member Kristi Leonard suggested waiting until the county-wide water study, set to be completed at the end of the year, could be finished. That way, she said, there would be other elements to include in reasoning for the moratorium ordinance, which needs to be based in health and safety.
"Maybe the timing needs to just be pushed back a little bit," Leonard said. "Educate ourselves on what we have. Put our thoughts in concise bullet points so we have a logical direction we're going instead of throwing darts at the wall."
Committee members decided to discuss the moratorium ordinance and take possible action during their June meeting.