In Brookings County, voters are collecting signatures to put a moratorium on large feedlots on the ballot. You can do the same in your county. To obtain a copy of the Brookings County petition, click here.

I-29ers Seek Two Year Moratorium on Large Feedlots

A ballot initiative sought by a local group would place a two year moratorium on granting new permits for large feedlots in Brookings County. Large factory dairy farms, like the ones proposed along I-29 in Brookings County, would be part of this moratorium.

Tim Trooien, spokesperson for the "I-29ers for Quality of Life", farms north of White and was once a small dairy farmer himself. He notes, "We are hoping other counties will also launch moratoriums and that this will eventually lead to a statewide moratorium."

South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds and Secretary of Agriculture Larry Gabriel are hoping to turn the Interstate 29 area into the "I-29 Dairy Corridor." Trooien notes, "Almost without exception, the only ones favoring the massive dairy factory farms stand to immediately profit from it. Almost every person living in the immediate vicinity, is opposed to the proposed dairies."

According to the group, problems of all types can arise when people try to crowd too many animals into a confined area. Not only is there the odor from too much manure in a concentrated space, but surrounding residents can be affected by the potentially unhealthy conditions. The one thing South Dakota has is plenty of space. It doesn't make any sense to force so many animals into a small confined area.

The Environmental Protection Agency doesn't use the term feedlot. The technical term for a feedlot is "Confined Animal Feeding Operations" or "CAFO's." The proposed Brookings County initiative prohibits Brookings County government for a period of two years: "from granting Conditional Use Permits for large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO's) defined by the E.P.A. as 1) confining as many or more than 700 mature dairy cows, or 1,000 cattle other than mature dairy cows, or 2,500 swine, each weighing 55 pounds or more; or 10,000 swine, each weighing less than 55 pounds; AND 2) confining animals for at least 45 days in a 12-month period, AND 3) having no grass or other vegetation in the confinement area during the normal growing season." The EPA currently requires these types of facilities to gain a permit to operate.

The I-29ers point out that a couple of years ago the governor of Iowa asked Iowa State University and the University of Iowa to examine all the research on the potential dangers of CAFO's. They have since issued a number of reports summarizing the dangers. Since that time eleven Iowa counties have enacted moratoriums on building any new CAFO's.

Trooien notes that one of the brochures put out by the University of Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health is available at http://www.ncrlc.com/CAFO_02.html. "This brochure gives you an idea of just some of the reasons why we should explore a moratorium on CAFO's. At the very least, voters should have an opportunity to debate the issues. There are several issues that we are aware of such as potential air and water contamination, negative health impacts, strain on taxpayer programs, to name a few. There may be others that we aren’t even aware of yet. Initiating a moratorium allows us the time to research the issues and look at the net economical impact on the county. These types of operations are fairly new to our area, but there are several states that have experience with these issues. Let’s take some time and study what they’ve learned.

Brookings County resident Bill Du Bois concurs: "If residents are going to risk respiratory problems, decreased land values and a variety of other health problems so a few can make money, then at least we should be aware of the dangers and have the right to vote on it."

The group says that a moratorium on large CAFO's is not a radical idea. Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards has endorsed a nation wide moratorium on granting permits for building of any new large CAFO's or expanding existing ones.

The American Public Health Association, the oldest public health association in the world, has issued a call for a "Precautionary Moratorium on New Concentrated Animal Feed Operations." The details of that statement are available at http://www.apha.org/legislative/policy/policysearch/index.cfm?fuseaction=view&id=1243.

In Brookings County, this initiative would effect the granting of permits to massive dairy factory farms along what Governor Mike Rounds has designated as the "I-29 Dairy Corridor". State government has sought to put large industrial style dairy farms up and down Interstate 29. Many local residents have objected saying such operations damage their quality of life. Opposition has been particularly vocal in Brookings and Moody counties.

Last month, Moody County residents collected enough signatures to put permits for two 2,500 head dairies on the ballot. However, the dairy factory farmers sued in court to block such an action. Judge David Gienapp ruled against the voters declaring zoning permits are administrative decisions; therefore there is no right to vote. The case is now headed for the South Dakota Supreme Court.

The I-29ers for Quality of Life say that if the Supreme Court upholds the Moody County decision, a moratorium is one of the ways residents will have to protect themselves. Tuesday, August 3, the I-29ers asked the Brookings County Commission to enact a two year moratorium. The group was impressed with the Commission's consideration, and is still hopeful they will adopt one. A moratorium could be enacted by a vote of the County Commission or by a county wide initiative. To put an initiative on the ballot for a vote requires signatures of 5% of the county residents who voted in the last general election -- which in Brookings County is 968 signatures.

There is no time limit for the collection of signatures for a county initiative. However, if signatures are collected by August 30, then the issue will be on the ballot for this year's November general election. If the goal is not reached until after August 30, then state law requires that a special election be scheduled within 60 days after the signatures are turned in to the County Auditor's office.

Brookings County currently issues class A, B, and C permits for feedlots. Permits A and B, which are for operations with over 1,000 animals, would not be allowed during the two year moratorium. Existing type A and B permits would not be subject to the moratorium, and type C permits (500 - 999 animals) would not be affected.

If the recent decision by Judge David Gienapp in Moody County stands, then the zoning board’s decisions on CAFO permits will be final. Two years ago, judges in Bon Homme and Hutchinson counties also ruled residents do not have a right to vote on zoning permits, but the South Dakota Supreme Court overruled those decisions. Voters then rejected those large CAFO permits by votes of 66% and 79%.