Two Claypool residents appeared before the Area Plan Commission Wednesday afternoon to ask for stricter ordinances at the county level concerning concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs.
Marjorie Vance, Claypool, and her daughter-in-law, Sharon Vance, asked the plan commission if they would consider ordinances that would supercede those at the state level.
Marjorie Vance read a preliminary statement stating that she would like to see the county adopt ordinances that “fit (the community’s) needs”. She said she would like to keep “factory farms” from running out the traditional farmer.
In particular, she referenced a pending CAFO in Silver Lake that is owned by John Sands and Sons of Silver Lake.
Both Sands and his son, Ryan Sands, have applied for one barn that can contain up to 4,620 hogs, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
IDEM approves CAFO applications.
CAFOS are not uncommon at both the county and state level.
In Indiana, there are 631 CAFOS, and in Kosciusko County there are 18.
Area Plan Director Dan Richard said that his department has received minimal reports of problems with Kosciusko County CAFOs.
Richard also said that IDEM is relied on to enforce a lot of the rules that govern CAFOs.
Plan Commission member Larry Coplen said that concerned him.
“My faith in IDEM is somewhere near the county dump,” said Coplen.
Coplen also said he didn’t want to stifle agriculture in the county.
“But I’m not here to thwart growth,”said Coplen.
Richard said it takes quite a bit to have CAFOs approved by the state, including engineering reports and drainage plans.
