The Vermilion County Board is taking a neutral stance on whether the Illinois Department of Agriculture should approve permits for two livestock containment facilities near Fithian. But the Board is asking the Department to ensure complete compliance with all rules and regulations if the permits are approved.
Citizens packed last night’s county board meeting to speak out on the issue. One of them was Dan Auterman, who said he has lived in the Muncie area for over 40 years.
”One of the things that has changed over those years is all these old rural farm communities are starting to turn more into sleeper communities for Champaign, Urbana and Danville. Oakwood Township has some of the highest property taxes in the county, and apparently there’s a reason for that because it’s a good place to live,” said Auterman. ”The last thing in the world that i want to see is to have two different hog lots come in just a few miles from my home, one of them being about a mile-and-a-half – and the other being about two-and-a-half, because that is going to do nothing but destroy our property value.”
Blake Wells lives in Muncie and recalled being able to play in Stoney Creek when he was a kid.
”Now that I’ve grown-up I’ve got a family of my own. We’ve settled down within a stone’s throw of Stoney Creek. My kids can attest to all of the time we have spent exploring the creek. Unfortunately in the summer of 2015 there was an accidental manure leak into Stoney Creek which caused the Village of Oakwood to cease drawing water from the river. Since then we have spent little time in the creek.”
Kerry Wienke, Executive Director of the Vermilion County Farm Bureau, asked the County Board to support the new hog farms.
”Farm Bureau believes that the Livestock Facilities Management Act offers a balance. A balance of protecting the environment, giving consideration to placement, and allowing production of livestock,” said Wienke. ”Eight siting criteria set the benchmark that must be met by any new livestock management facility. We hope the County Board will support the two proposed livestock facilities if they meet those criteria as set in law.”
Art Halstead, Operations Manager for Parks Livestock, Incorporated, told County Board members the new livestock containment facilities would have to meet stringent requirements.
”The proposed farm will meet numerous regulations governed by the State of Illinois under the Livestock Management Facilities Act, which contains provisions related to design, construction, and operation of the livestock operation,” says Halstead.
The County Board is forwarding all of the public comments to the Illinois Department of Agriculture to weigh in deciding whether the permits should be approved.
