At a Jan. 23 meeting concerning a proposed Cooper County hog farrowing operation, Moniteau County Presiding Commissioner Kenny Kunze and District 2 Commissioner Greg Robinson were among the more than 100 people present. The gathering was at Oakland Baptist Church.
On Feb. 1, about a dozen county residents gathered at the office of the Moniteau Commissioners to discuss the matter. All three commissioners, including District I Commissioner Noland Porter, were present. According to the commissioners office, some of those present expressed their opinions, which fell on both sides of the issue.
The commissioners plan to discuss the matter to determine what is best to benefit and address the concerns of the people of the county.
"It's going to be a long process," Kunze said. He said in Callaway County, a similar operation has been in the works for about five years and is not yet settled.
The concentrated animal feeding operation is proposed to be constructed in southern Cooper County, northwest of Clarksburg, along Renshaw Drive. The parent company is out of Pipestone, Iowa. Together, the gestation, farrowing and gilt-development buildings are expected to house 7,700 hogs and pigs. According to information received, the operation will require two wells drawing 25,000 gallons-a-day and a 10-foot-deep manure pit beneath each of the buildings. The manure would be injected into Cooper County cropland. Currently, plans are to truck the young pigs to Iowa for finishing.
Nearby residents have expressed concern about air quality (odors), water quality (runoff into nearby streams), property values, and road condition and upkeep (extra wear and tear from more loaded trucks). Since some other operations requiring increased water usage have resulted in a significantly lower water table, that is a concern of others.
At the same time, some were reported to be looking into the CAFO as a possible source of fertilizer for croplands, a possible market for grain crops and possible expansion sites for finishing the pigs for market.
The hog operation is planned for Cooper County, but close enough to Moniteau County to bring it to the attention of Moniteau County residents and the county commissioners. "Since it is Cooper County, we'll keep an eye on it and see what develops," Kunze said.