Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Creighton Brothers' confined feeding permit, which allows them to use two new egg-laying facilities, was approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in early June, said Kristin Whittington, IDEM director of the Office of Ag Relations, Wednesday.
"It's my understanding," said Creighton Brothers general manager Ron Truex, "that the permit was issued and it is my understanding there has been no appeals."
Whittington said Creighton Brothers followed all the requirements in the application and even agreed to meet some requirements that are "over and above" what was required.
"We did so much above and beyond the permit ... we responded to every possibility that could come up on appeal," said Truex.
He said they provided IDEM with approximately a half-dozen written plans beyond what was required. Some of those include putting in test wells and providing for bug control. "It was very extensive," he said.
The chicken houses are near Creighton's existing operation on the west side of CR 950W, a half mile north of CR 200S.
Each chicken house would be 100 feet wide and 570 feet long and would house up to 240,000 chickens.
Around Christmas 1999, a group of property owners adjacent to Creighton were notified of Creighton Brothers' desire to build the facilities and became concerned about the plans. The notification is required by law.
IDEM delayed the permit approval, but said at the time the permit would probably be eventually approved.
Truex said the concerned adjacent property owners were notified by letter of the changes.
