Feedstuffs Magazine
Hog Industry Insider
August 27, 2001
By STEVE MARBERY
Feedstuffs Correspondent

County ordinance challenged

Backed by the local farm bureau, Worth County, Iowa, producers have
filed a
lawsuit against the county board of supervisors. Plaintiffs contend
livestock health ordinances are illegal and place unfair economic
pressure
on producers. Farmers fear they will be rendered noncompetitive due to
the
$2,500-5,000 cost of monitoring wells and other health-related
precautions
(Feedstuffs, June 11). Large farmers are better equipped to comply with
regulations on air emissions, water quality and worker safety, they
argued.
Defendants believe producers are overreacting.

Worth County Friends of Agriculture, the farm bureau and six citizens
filed
the case Aug. 9 in a Northwood, Iowa, court. A hearing is scheduled for
Aug.
27. Among the defendants are Beverly Pangburn, board chairperson, and
Darrell Bang and Dorothy Hanna, supervisors. Plaintiffs include Ronald
Balek, Lynn Butler, Vernon Gordon, Ted Lawyer, Dean Lindflott and Doug
Tempus. They alleged Iowa statutes forbid counties from enacting
ordinances
applicable to livestock production.

Worth County’s Rural Health & Family Farm Protection Ordinance is the
state’
s first local public health regulation. The state supreme court has
ruled
counties cannot adopt environmental livestock ordinances that conflict
with
state regulations.

Copyright 2001, The Miller Publishing Company, a company of Rural Press
Ltd.

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