Prairie Rivers Network Goes Public with Livestock Industry Frustrations

In August 2011, Stacy James, Prairie Rivers Network’s specialist on agricultural pollution, attended a public informational meeting on a proposed 18,000-head hog farm called Shamrock Acres. The meeting was hosted by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and presentations were made by the applicant, his engineer, and a representative from the Illinois Livestock Development Group. During this meeting, Stacy became so disgusted by some of the livestock industry members’ dismissive attitudes toward the people who have to live around their operations, that she was compelled to write and submit a fairly scathing opinion piece on the topic. We thank the Springfield State Journal-Register for publishing this piece. And we continue to advocate for industry standards that respect local residents.