Gazette Online, IA
07-31-07
Loophole allows hog lots near wetlands
By George C. Ford
The Gazette
george.ford@gazettecommunications.com
Lack of reference to ``county'' in a state law that restricts construction of livestock
confinement facilities near wetlands apparently will allow a planned hog lot in
Buchanan County to be built.
Don Strauel, owner of DJS Farms in Jesup, has begun construction of an access
road for a 2,500-head hog confinement lot on land adjacent to the Crumbacher
Wildlife Area. The county wetlands area is on 240th Street south and west of
Independence.
Strauel declined comment when contacted by The Gazette.
State law prohibits construction of a hog confinement facility within 2,500 feet of
state and federal wildlife areas. Crumbacher is a county wildlife facility,
supervised by the Buchanan County Conservation Board.
Sondra Cabell, naturalist with the Buchanan County Conservation Board, said
the state ``matrix'' for hog lot confinement was drawn up with emphasis on state
and federal wildlife facilities.
``They were forced to draw up the regulations in a very short period of time,''
Cabell said. ``It's not that they neglected county wildlife facilities. They were just
pressed for time and they focused on state and federal wetlands.''
Cabell said the way the law is written, county or privately owned wildlife aras fall
outside the protection of state law.
Jayne Clampitt, who has lived with her family next to the Crumbacher Wildlife
Area for 14 years, would like to see state law changed to include county wetlands
areas.
``This is the third hog confinement lot that we've had constructed within a mile of
our home and this wildlife area,'' Clampitt said. ``Lime Creek, which flows through
Crumbacher and runs through the middle of these hog confinement lots, has
been contaminated.
``It's been on the watch for the watershed through the Extension Service. It also
has been monitored by Iowa State University and Coe College.
``It's in the 80th percentile in terms of contamination by nitrates. We feel this will
only make it worse.''
Clampitt said efforts to tighten regulation of hog lots have not fared well in the
Legislature.
``They get introduced, but they never make to the full House or Senate for
consideration,'' she said. ``I realize we may not be able to stop construction of
this facility, but I hope we can raise awareness to prevent the same thing
happening elsewhere in the state.''