Residents Continue to Raise Concerns with the New CAFO State
On April 2, 2006, the Pal-Item ran a big article on the hog operation that is coming to Wayne County near Williamsburg. On the surface it looks as if this is a good deal for Wayne County: new jobs, good outlet for grain production. But wait a minute. Let’s look at the downside, too.
I’m sure that most of us have driven by family farms of 200 or 300 hogs. Notice the aroma? One can only speculate about the stench that will be created by 15,000 brood sows. Animals draw flies. I have read that homes in the area of these CAFO operations are covered with flies. Their yards are unusable in the summertime and the ammonia fumes cause a most unpleasant burning in your eyes. What about the folks whose farms and homes are within a three-mile area ? How about their property values? Good deal ?
The P-I article states that the CAFO will be shipping 4,800 piglets a week to grow-to-finish hog operations. How many trucks will that take? How many trucks will be needed to bring in supplies? What will happen to the roads with that much traffic? Who will pay for the repairs? My bet is that it will be your tax dollars. Good deal?
The amount of manure that will be created by this many animals is almost inconceivable. The article stated that the manure would be held for a year and then drilled into the soil. There is also to be a holding pond for runoff. These ponds are notorious for malfunctions. The runoff goes into streams and kills fish and other wildlife. CAFOs also draw enormous amounts of water. What happens when nearby wells go dry? What happens if our precious non-replicable water supply is and possibly will be polluted? Good deal?
