Bill would give neighbors voice on CAFOs

People looking for a voice in deciding whether a large pig or chicken farm moves into their backyard got a boost from a Columbia legislator Tuesday.

Representatives from the office of state Rep. Jeff Harris, D-Columbia, said Tuesday that Harris was seeking co-sponsors on legislation that would allow the use of the initiative petition process to put proposed combined animal feeding operations up for a public vote.

“It currently is up to folks in Jefferson City to decide whether a CAFO will be allowed to move in next door your home,” Harris said in a release. “This legislation will give the people forced to live with the smell, pollution and waste caused by a nearby CAFO a powerful voice in the licensing process.”

Pettis County has a CAFO ordinance requiring certain conditions, such as setback requirements, before a permit can be issued. But community concerns are not taken into account. Several other counties in the state, such as nearby Benton, have no county ordinance and rely on the state’s Department of Natural Resources permitting process.

That process also does not take community concerns into account.

Several individuals and groups have recently protested CAFOs moving into their area.

A proposed hog farm near the historic village of Arrow Rock spurred the local community into action against the farm.

Local groups such as the Friends of Arrow Rock attempted to block the farm’s construction, and although the owner was successful in obtaining a permit, the CAFO remains unbuilt, pending an appeal.

Friends of Arrow Rock Executive Director Kathy Borgman said she hadn’t heard of the legislation but felt that it was a step in the right direction.

“I think there certainly needs to be some way to deal with this issue,” she said. “I’m glad that it’s staying on people’s radar.”

Members of another group that grew out of the Arrow Rock fight, Citizens to Protect State Parks and Historic Sites, also backed the legislation.

“Putting it to a local vote ... I think that’s a brilliant move, and I hope it garners support,” said David Finke, treasurer for Citizens to Protect State Parks and Historic Sites and a constituent of state Rep. Harris.

Lynita Essley is leading the charge in Benton County against a proposed chicken farm near her state Route W home. Essley, who said she was creating an organization to increase the cause’s credibility, welcomed the move.

“I would be all for it. I think that, especially in the more populated areas, that the residents in that area should have a say,” she said.

Harris will be proposing two separate CAFO bills, his office said. In addition to the petition measure, Harris will re-introduce HB 909, a bill he sponsored last year that would have prohibited CAFOs near state parks and historic sites.

Finke said he was glad to see that measure return.

“Jeff never got a hearing on this bill last year,” Finke said. “I’m glad that he’s persisting.”