3 resign from CAFO ordinance committee

Attendees of a previous Missouri Air Conservation Commission meeting listen during the public comment period. Many members of the public offered opinions about a proposition to expand the odor rule to cover all CAFOs.
Attendees of a previous Missouri Air Conservation Commission meeting listen during the public comment period. Many members of the public offered opinions about a proposition to expand the odor rule to cover all CAFOs.

Three members of the CAFO committee formed to examine a proposed ordinance addressing confined animal feeding operations have resigned, moderator Rick Hess said.

However, the committee's next meeting will take place as planned at 6:30 p.m. today (Wednesday) at the Callaway Electric Cooperative (1313 Cooperative Drive, Fulton). It is unclear whether the resigning members will be replaced by the Callaway County Commission, which formed the committee, or whether the committee will be dissolved.

Committee members Kenny Brinker, Tim Safranski and Josh Lehenbauer offered resignations by email Jan. 11, Commissioner Roger Fischer said. In September, the same committee members voted to disband the committee and ask commissioners to adopt Missouri Department of National Resources guidelines on CAFOs. That measure failed.

"Within the office, (neither) the resignations nor re-appointments have been discussed by the commissioners," Fischer said Tuesday.

Presiding Commissioner Gary Jungermann said Tuesday he was not in favor of reappointing committee members, adding he thought the committee was at a standstill.

Brinker said essentially, he and the other resigning members felt the committee wasn't making progress.

"No. 1 on the (guidance) from the commissioners was that we, as a group, should find a way we were going to come to a consensus or an agreement on anything," Brinker said.

He said an incident at the end of the December meeting convinced him no consensus would be reached.

"The group decided that if we're going to put some kind of regulation in place it should apply to all livestock operations in the county," he said. "As the meeting was wrapping up, we did what we usually do and had comments from people in the audience. The last one that spoke was Roger Fischer who said he wouldn't support something like that."

Fischer confirmed the exchange occurred.

"I did say that I felt that the discussion to include 'all farmers' to comply with the same restrictions was an attempt to derail the whole purpose of a health ordinance," he stated.

Safranski said he was concerned about the committee's lack of progress.

"After months of meetings with little to no progress, I am left concerned about the process," he stated in his letter of resignation. "I had hoped the direction provided by the commissioners would provide a guideline for moving forward. Consensus on setbacks and 'what we can agree on' (first two objectives), however, are exceedingly unlikely to occur."

He also mentioned the incident cited by Brinker.

Brinker said he respects the remaining committee members, but hopes the county commissioners will dissolve the committee and hash out the proposed ordinance's details among themselves.

Safranski said he feared the committee would be imbalanced following the resignations.

Fischer said he's disappointed by the resignations, but thinks the committee can still function.

"I am confident the remaining (committee) members will be able to offer a significant and credible health ordinance," he said. "I hope the committee will be able to produce their recommended health ordinance soon, and that it will be agreed to by commissioners and passed to the public for a vote of our constituents, friends and neighbors."

Fischer said he spoke only for himself, and not the other commissioners.

If remaining committee members attend and the meeting has a quorum, Section 5 of the draft ordinance is on the agenda for tonight. Section 5 details rules with which a proposed CAFO must comply before the county commission issues a county health permit.

Under guidelines from the Callaway County Commission issued Nov. 27, committee members are to decide whether it can come to a conclusion or decision; decide "what it is the committee wants to put together as a Health Ordinance;" determine setbacks; and determine what documentation and information should be submitted to the county recorder and held at the health department.

Fischer proposed the ordinance in March, and the committee was formed in May.

If approved, the ordinance would apply to new confined animal feeding operations with a specified density of animals: 1,000 or more animal units at 150 or more per acre.

The ordinance would establish setbacks to keep CAFOs and waste products a certain distance from populated areas, water and recreational facilities. It also introduces a variety of other safety measures to keep diseases from spreading to people. Additionally, it requires information about land on which waste is being spread to be documented and submitted to the county recorder.

An April draft of the ordinance can be viewed at bit.ly/2qYuK7d.