~by Janice Harbaugh for Greene County News Online
The Farmers and Neighbors of Greene County, community members living in the area surrounding the hog confinement operation proposed by Stumpf Finishers, LLC of Rockwell City, have reached out to the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project located in Golden, CO.
SRAP is a not-for-profit group which assists grassroots organizers in more than 30 states fight against concentrated animal feeding operations.
The Jefferson County Farmers and Neighbors of Fairfield are also following developments in Greene County, according to sources in the Greene County coalition.
A press release from Karen Hudson of SRAP reports the Farmers and Neighbors of Greene County coalition has filed a formal 30-day extension request letter to the Iowa DNR regarding the Stumpf Finishers LLC application for a construction permit.
The coalition and SRAP allege the Greene County board of supervisors failed to follow correct protocol and re-calculate master matrix scores for Stumpf Finishers, LLC after presenters from the public had proven some scores were deficient.
The coalition and SRAP maintain the IDNR requires the board of supervisors to “evaluate and score all criteria in the application claimed by the CAFO applicant and note if the claimed points are correct or incorrect.”
The press release states “citizens are demanding another board of supervisors public meeting on the Stumpf project that will follow correct protocol.”
In a letter to Kelli Book, acting general counsel and legal services chief of the IDNR, made available to GCNO, the coalition requests a 30-day extension “so the Board of Supervisors of Greene County Iowa can perform their duties of Master Matrix review using proper notice and procedure.”
The letter describes past communications with people at the county level and the DNR to “express concern about the county master matrix review and specifically about points assigned to the driveway, the setback to waterway, and others.”
The Farmers and Neighbors of Greene County describe themselves as “deeply concerned about the impacts to public health and the environment.” Signers of the letter are Justin Stream, Charles Hoskins, Dean Hoskins, John and Jayne Tiffany, and Dr Chuck Boyage and Liz Bertelli.
