Gail Strobl, treasurer of Grant County Concerned Citizens, asks a reasonable question on the Big Stone Lake Area Forum: Are confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) good economic development? Strobl cites a 2008 Marshall County Journal interview in which Veblen mega-feedlot operator and EPA-certified polluter Rick Millner said he saw "huge potential for dairy development" in North and South Dakota.
Strobl then compiles a damning list of headlines since that show CAFOs don't seem to be such a boon to anyone's economy.
Strobl's article is an interesting read. Unfortunately, the headlines don't include hyperlinks, so I need to do some Googling to check her sources. Check it out, then register your opinion in the conversation at the Big Stone Lake Area Forum.
---------------------
Also bubbling up in Grant County: Gail tells me the Grant County Concerned Citizens just filed suit against the county commission to bring a proposed increase in setbacks for feedlots to a public vote. The group petitioned for bigger setbacks last fall, but the county commission declined.
In happier news, East Dakota Water Development District is launching a big two-year water quality monitoring project in the Whetstone and Yellow Bank watersheds. That project should give Grant County residents some good data on what's happening with their water.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are closed, as this portion of the Madville Times is in archive mode. You can join the discussion of current issues at MadvilleTimes.com.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.