Grant County Concerned Citizens (GCCC) was formed over 2 years ago when a mega dairy planned to build in Kilborn Township, They planned on bringing in thousands of cows and young stock, 3 manure lagoon and building housing for 35 workers on site.
GCCC is a grassroots organization whose members are mostly local farmers. Many of us started searching out all the information we could find about CAFO'S and the regulations about them. We learned quickly that there is hardly an enforcing of the regulations that they are supposed to follow. This isn't just in South Dakota; it is a problem all over the US.
Grant County Concerned Citizens are not against agriculture or livestock. We just don't want our farmers to be forced to have a CAFO too close to their lives and their livelihood. A lot of our farms are generations of people making a living off the land, raising their children, paying taxes, supporting the local towns and schools, and bring a lot of economic benefit to Grant County. Each of the small or midsized farms circulate a quarter million to a million dollars each in the community every year.
When many of the regulations were put into effect, no one could imagine the size or scope of the current large CAFOS. One day there is a bare quarter section of land; the next day there is a small village in the same spot.
This is what brought us to ask for a graduated set back. This graduated setback affects local producers little and forces the larger CAFOS to a reasonable distance.
Our efforts brought a petition before the Commissioners. When they rejected that, we presented another petition asking for the right to put this issue on the local ballot. Their refusal to do this forced us into the court system, where we find that though we followed the law on petitioning, we have been locally denied the right to vote. Citizens of our state should not have their voting rights taken away.
Gail Strobl
Tue Jul 13, 2010 2:34 pm
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