Minnesota

Another hearing on pollution risk from proposed hog farm in Harmony

Published

5 years ago

November 20, 2018

Brad Williams

AP file photo

HARMONY, Minn. — Fillmore County will get one more chance to speak out on plans for a huge hog farm near Harmony.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has scheduled a Dec. 4 hearing in Mabel, Minn., on calls to require an environmental impact statement for the Catalpa Ag hog farm.

Critics of the project, who fear the risk of groundwater pollution, have written letters to the MPCA.

Just saying the feedlot isn’t wanted there won’t stop the project. Critics need to make legal arguments for or against an environmental impact statement.

Cathy Rofshus of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says if the project is blocked, it will have to be for specific legal reasons.

“We are legally obligated, under Minnesota statute, that if a project meets all the legal requirements, we have to issue the permit,” Rofshus said. “It’s not a case of a public referendum.”

Rofshus says inspectors checked out rumors of a sinkhole at the proposed farm site, and didn’t find such a hole.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.