Hog Confinements in Dallas County

Dear Editor

It has come to my attention, much too late to do anything about it probably, that there is a hog confinement proposed to be constructed within 1 mile of my home.  This is not an uncommon occurrence in the state of Iowa.  In fact there are 10 homes within 1 mile of this proposed facility, some just ½ mile away.  I have looked at the manure management plan and one poor family will have manure spread on three sides of their property throughout the year.

Of course this proposed facility is under the limit of 2500 hogs to require a permit by 20 hogs, so no one was notified.  They will run 2 sets of hogs through the facility each year, 4960 hogs.  This will produce over 660,000 gallons of liquid waste to be stored in a 270’ long, 70’ wide, 8’ deep lagoon.  The manure will all be spread in section 13 of the Adel Township in Dallas County.

My secondary concern (my primary concern is my family) is for others impacted and the county as a whole.  This is terrible planning.  The proposed facility lies in the center between Adel, Waukee, and Dallas Center.  Dallas County is the second fastest growing county in the country.  Waukee builds a new school every year.  The Waukee soccer complex is a short 3.5 mile drive south.  The proposed new county facilities would be 3 miles away.  There is a church on highway 6 less than 3 miles away.  The parking lot for the bike trail in Waukee is less than 3 miles away.  The bike trail from Waukee to Dallas Center that was just completed, and is well used, is less than 100 yards.  All of these items are outside the limits set by the legislature, but all will be affected.

The county web site has maps indicating the entire core from Waukee to Adel and DC is anticipated residential with a regional commercial core where this is located.  The long range planning has a western bypass that ties into the highway 5 bypass going right by this facility less than half a mile.  Maybe this is what they mean by regional commercial.  The map shows a 3/4 mile swath from R16 to R22 just north of 270th street.

In a conversation I had w/ the county, it was stated this owner plans to build several (no number  or location was given) in Dallas County.  He can put facilities of this size every ½ mile without a permit because they will all be considered individual units under the size required to be permitted.

I can’t believe this is what the citizens of Dallas County want, or what the planning organizations spend their time working on simply to be ignored.  The problem primarily lies in the fact that local control is not allowed.  In almost every other aspect of governance, local control is preferred and advocated for by the Iowa legislature.  Big Ag controls the legislature and the DNR.  Talk to your rep.  Talk to your senator.  Get local control for issues that affect you and your neighbors.