By CRISTINA JANNEY and BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Residents in Rush County voted in Nov. 7’s general election to allow the expansion of a hog farm two miles southwest of Pfeifer near the Rush County and Ellis County line.
The vote total, finalized after the canvass on Monday, was 568 voting to allow the expansion of the hog farm and 496 voting against.
The expansion by Bison Rush Genetics, LLC, would increase the permitted number of animals from 3,840 to 24,408.
Those who live close to the hog farm were concerned about potential contamination of water wells. The Smoky Hill River is 1.5 miles away from the site and the source for drinking water, private wells and agricultural wells in the area. The Pfeifer well field on the Smoky Hill River is the primary source of water for the city of Russell. Most of the water wells for the city of Hays are also located along the Smoky Hill River.
Concerns were raised at the August meeting about dead swine being buried less than the required 5,000 feet from a home.
Waymaster said he addressed the issues that were brought to him during the August meeting to Agriculture Secretary Jackie McClaskey. McCalskey assured Waymaster in August that all of the environmental and regulatory concerns surrounding the swine farm had been addressed.
The problem with the pig carcasses being buried outside of the required setbacks occurred under the last owners of the pig farm, Waymaster said.
“I can understand why they may still have some concerns about that,” Waymaster said. “You might think, even though they are separate owners, that history might repeat itself. Because of the size of the hog farm that is moving in compared to one that was there previously, Sec. McClaskey assured me that they are going to be regulated probably more.”
He said he had been assured by the department of agriculture and the department of water that they are going to be monitoring the hog farm and its effects on the water table.
The current applicant is listed as Bison Rush Genetics LLC, with a post office box address in Carthage, Ill. That address is associated with Professional Swine Management. The application includes a facility address of rural Bison in Rush County.
A call to Professional Swine Management was not returned Tuesday.
Ellis County Public Works Director Bill Ring also attended the meeting in August and expressed concerns the hog farm will increase heavy truck traffic on Ellis County roads without any tax benefit from the farm. Waymaster forwarded this concern to the Kansas Secretary of Transportation, but Waymaster said he had not heard if any progress had been made on this issue.
Ring is at a conference this week and was unable to be reached.
Waymaster drew parallels between the expansion of the hog farm and Russell County’s attempt to bring a Tyson plant to the area. The proposal also met with opposition for many of the same reasons.
“I look at it as an economic development as the farm is ag commerce,” he said. “One thing is that in our area of the state, it will be creating jobs, which is something that we definitely need. It may not be the most ideal jobs coming into the economy, but it will still be individuals who are employed and hopefully living in our local communities, spending in our local stores and businesses, increasing sales tax revenue and also property tax.
“You can look at it from many different perspectives, but I do understand the concerns citizens had.”
Had Rush County residents voted against the hog farm expansion, the county would have had the right to contest the KDHE finding.
A Sept. 25 letter confirming approval of the water pollution control permit application by Bison Rush Genetics LLC was mailed to participants in the July 25 public hearing convened in Lacrosse by the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment.
The second paragraph of the 11 page letter reads “The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has reviewed the information, comments and questions; particularly in relation to meeting the applicable statutory and regulatory requirements for a water pollution control permit for a confined feeding facility. The evaluation has determined the permit application, design plans, nutrient management plan and supporting documentation demonstrate the capability of the facility to adequately protect waters of the State and public health. Therefore, KDHE has issued the permit to the facility.”
The letter is signed by Tara Mahin, Chief of the Livestock Waste Management Section, Bureau of Water.
Read the entire KDHE letter about the permit approval .