The Greene County supervisors have supported working within the framework of the master matrix when considering concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. They were consistent in that at their Sept. 26 meeting when they denied a pair of requests to allow CAFO owners to skip a 14-day appeal period before beginning construction.
Travis and Lynn Hardin, owners of Hardin Site in Bristol Township, and Mitch and Jill Stream, owners of JEMMB Pork in Highland Township, have received draft construction permits from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Hardins’ was dated Sept. 19 and Streams’ was dated Sept. 21.
Per regulations, there is a 14-day appeal period after the draft permit is received before construction can begin. Both owners asked the county supervisors to waive the 14-day period.
Becky Sexton of Twin Lakes Environmental was at the meeting with Mitch Stream. She said country roads will get busier soon with harvest traffic and that Stream wants to keep the process moving to assure there are hogs in the new building before the end of the year. She said the concrete crews will return to Mexico in November. “We want to make sure everything’s done and complete before we run out of time,” Sexton said.
The supervisors have been asked to waive the appeal period in other instances and have denied the request. Board chair John Muir said he is not comfortable with “opening that can of worms. …. I have to have a reason in my mind why we’re changing the system that much.”
Supervisor Guy Richardson said the appeal period is “part of the process” and he didn’t see a compelling reason to waive it.
The vote on a motion to waive the appeal period was not unanimous. Supervisors Tom Contner and Mick Burkett voted in favor of the motion and Muir, Richardson and Dawn Rudolph voted against. The motion failed 3-2.
Beaver Creek Windpark: The supervisors also heard a presentation by Matt Ott and Brady Evans of MidAmerican Energy about the proposed Beaver Creek Windpark. The project includes 85 permanent wind turbines straddling the Greene/Boone County line north of Highway 30.
Much of the information was the same that has been shared with the public in recent weeks. (See earlier GCNO posts.)
According to Evans, MidAmerican has easement agreements with landowners for 10,000 acres to date. The easements are 40-year agreements. The easement agreements include annual financial compensation for land taken out of production.
The pair assured the supervisors there will be an agreement with the county that MidAmerican will pay all costs when the turbines are eventually decommissioned.
MidAmerican will cover the cost to repair any damage done to roads during the construction phase. Evans said it is possible drainage tiles will be damaged as the necessary transmission cables are installed underground, and that damage will be repaired as soon as it is known, even if that is years after construction.
Contner asked where the turbines will be manufactured. Evans said the tower sections will be made in Iowa and the turbine blades will be made in Colorado.
Franklin Township resident Chris Henning was in the gallery. She questioned the shadow flicker created by the turbines and cited the experiences of an acquaintance in Carroll County who lives across the road from one of the first wind projects installed.
Ott said that much has been learned and setback distances from residences have increased. He also said MidAmerican seeks agreements with non-participating neighbors (for example, someone who lives on a small acreage and does not own enough land for siting a turbine) so they also receive financial compensation.
The project could be operational by the end of next summer.
