The Fight Over Setbacks, Does Anybody Win?

I have read with interest the continuing saga over new setback requirements. It is my position that neither side can win this battle. Both sides are so embittered that the real problem is not resolved. How to get rid of manure and the other side effects created by CAFO's.

If the county wins, what does the county win? Encouraging CAFO's just about anyplace in the county. Is that a win? Are the existing set backs adequate? The answer is "no"? The ixisting commissioners want more CAFO;'s in the county. Is this desireable? "NO"!

Grant County should learn the lessons of Veblon and Thief River Falls. When the milk prices go south the manure increases or maintains and the profits decrease. Where do you cut? You cut on manure disposal and when there is a bankruptcy, who pays? The county taxpayer! This is great EDA.

It will create local jobs to clean up the manure. Albeit, probably not a great paying job. This could become a permanent position if we keep promoting CAFO's. Sooner or later there will be finacial issues and we will end up cleaning them all.

Grant County Taxpayers will foot the bill.

I am greatly disappointed that we have not solved the problem. I suspect that in their arrogance of proving who is right and who is wrong the county should be leading and searching for the answers.

Instead the leadership at the county level is sleeping at the wheel. What has the county won? They have won the right to clean up the manure when the profits are not there? Has manure become the gold for the county, or will we have a county full of manure and no one to clean it up?

It is an election year and it is a good time to make some changes.

If the setbacks are increased the residents of the county win.

Over 1100 people signed the 2 petitions, so it is obvious the people want a chance to vote on this issue. The newly formed task force does not seem interested in graduated setbacks, only technology. We have seen that technology is not as effective as a setback. As Reporter mentioned in his post, we had 3 one hundred year floods in the last 10 years. The technology does not cover such events.

The setbacks requested are graduated, a 2000 a.u. operation would not be set as far back from a residence or well as a 5,000 a.u. place. Doesn't this make sense?

A 5,000 a.u. operation would have the same amount of waste as a medium size city, and the waste water is not treated. All the chemicals and medicines remain in the lagoon. These operations are not farms, they are industries and should be zoned in a different manner.