Local CAFO Regulations
The majority of the 15 people who attended the hearing were worried about the environmental effects of a CAFO could have on the watershed, air quality and more.Some, such as Kelly Dungan, were interested in making the CAFO ordinance requirements stricter. Dungan is watershed project coordinator for the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District. One of her recommendations was to designate areas near watersheds as “sensitive areas” according to the ordinance.
Barbara Sha Cox, a Wayne County resident who also has farms in Randolph County, suggested minimum CAFO setbacks be increased. She also wants Indiana to have a financial assurance package, meaning it has money to clean up a site if a CAFO leaves or goes out of business.
Commissioners have 90 days since the plan commission met on July 21 to approve, deny or ignore its recommendation. If they don’t approve it within 90 days, it becomes law. If they reject it, the ordinance returns to the plan commission.
Commissioners didn’t need to hold the public hearing Wednesday.
“The commissioners are going well beyond what the law requires,” Wayne County Attorney Ron Cross said.
