On May 8, the Marshall County Board voted 11-1 against the construction of a proposed hog factory farm. Members of Save Our Sandy were elated by the vote, which surely reflected their months of grassroots activism.
The proposed Sandy Creek Lane facility would house almost 20,000 hogs on a few acres near Sandy Creek, a beloved stream that drains into the Illinois River above Peoria. The hogs would produce approximately 10 million gallons of waste annually, which would be stored in pits underneath the hogs and then applied to nearby farm fields. Neighbors are concerned about odor, lower property values, creek and well contamination, and road damage from the large trucks that would service the facility.
The county board members astutely acknowledged that the facility owner and engineer did not provide them with enough information to evaluate the potential negative impacts on the surrounding community and environment.
While the county board vote is a step in the right direction, unfortunately their decision is considered a non-binding recommendation under the Livestock Management Facilities Act. Siting decisions are ultimately made by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Earlier this year, Prairie Rivers Network and partners introduced a bill (HB 5637) that gives county boards more authority. The bill is opposed by livestock groups but will be introduced again in 2015.
