For immediate release: October 17, 2005

For more information, contact Iowa CCI at 515-282-0484 or iowacci@iowacci.org

Environmental commission votes to stop
hog factory in Osceola County
Family farm group hails the vote

Des Moines – The Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) voted this afternoon to deny two 4,000-head hog factory farm permit applications in Osceola County. The EPC ruled, in a 5 to 1 vote, that the permit application did not meet minimum state laws because it failed to include a phosphorous index in the manure management plan which was submitted with the application. The EPC is the Department of Natural Resources’ citizen oversight board.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement members, staunch advocates for family farms and the environment, hailed the vote today. “We are ecstatic that the EPC voted to protect the environment and enforce Iowa’s laws,” said Iowa CCI member Dick Bird from Keosauqua. “This is an important message to factory farms in the state – that they can not continue to thumb their noses at our laws.”

There are tens of thousands of Iowans across the state who believe that factory farms pollute our air, water & soil, uproot social structures, drive family farmers out of business, and threaten our quality of life.

Today’s vote was the third time in recent history the EPC has voted to turn-down a factory farm construction permit. The other two cases were:

• Natural Pork Production II, L.L.C proposed to build a 7,000-head sow factory in Adair County. Iowa CCI members led a nine-month campaign to oppose the factory farm and were successful in October 2002 when the EPC voted 5 to 4 to deny the permit. There were several problems with the application including the site was to be built too close to a nearby residence.
  
• Jay Edge proposed to build a 4,050-head hog factory in Humboldt County. The plans involved Edge contracting with hog factory corporation Heartland Pork (now Christiansen Farms). Iowa CCI members led a five-month campaign to oppose Edge’s proposed hog factory and celebrated in December 2003 when the EPC voted 5-3 to deny the permit based on several legal problems with the application.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement is a 30 year old organization with thousands of members across the state from all walks of life who talk, act and get things done on critical issues affecting all Iowans. For more information visit www.iowacci.org.

Read the AP story from the Sioux City Journal - 10/19/05

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