Residents cry'fowl' over chicken barns

COLE CAMP — Nearly 40 people met Saturday night to discuss the possible health and environmental problems that more chicken barns in Benton County would cause.

Neighbors said Joe Zimmerman has staked out four plots for possible barns on Route W.

“I asked him if he was going to build chicken barns, and he said he was considering it,” said Lynita Essley. Essley lives near Zimmerman’s property and called the meeting to discuss what impact the chicken barns would have on the community. She said she invited Zimmerman, but he did not attend.

“I for one am against the building of chicken barns,” she said, addressing the crowd. “If the chicken barns are built, it will decrease property values and increase noise, traffic and health problems.”

Many people at the meeting spoke about the effect the barns will have on water and air quality.

“I know if the feces gets into the air, it gets into your lungs and will make you sick,” said Ellie Slater. “If we don’t stop it before it starts, it will destroy our community.”

Slater also discussed histoplasmosis, a lung condition that can be spread by chickens.

Flossie McCollom, a Cole Camp resident who lives near the location, said she had two lobes in her right lung removed due to the disease.

“My grandson here was born with pulmonary hypertension,” she said. “He wouldn’t be able to go outside.”

Others spoke about the already growing number of chicken barns in the area.

“There are already 15 barns on Route W anyway,” said resident Carla Smith. “There’s one not 200 yards from my property.”

Mark Chamberlin was the only Tyson farmer present at the meeting. Chamberlin said he has four egg laying houses, about 8,400 chickens, on 500 acres of land. If Zimmerman builds the four barns that are staked out, there could be nearly 88,000 chickens on 40 acres of land, he said.

“I think chicken barns are alright just as long as there aren’t too many in one area,” he said. “Too many of anything on one spot isn’t good, whether it’s cattle or chickens.”

Those who attended the meeting discussed possible strategies to stop the building of the barns, including contacting the Department of Natural Resources, starting a petition and suing Zimmerman and Tyson. Plans were made to contact the local county commissioner to answer questions and to meet again in the next few weeks.

“It would help so much more if we do these things cautiously,” Chamberlin said. “We’d get more accomplished if we study the facts first.”

“I think the meeting was a good start,” Essley said. “This isn’t something that’ll be solved in a night; it was a good step in the right direction.”