Opponents of feedlot suffer setback

Opponents of a big proposed feedlot in northeast Iowa have suffered a setback. A state official’s told Cascade residents there’s little they can do to stop a fifteen-thousand-head cattle feedlot from being built outside town. The proposed farm would be just a mile from the town 25 miles southwest of Dubuque, and they’re concerned about odor and water pollution. But the DNR’s Tom McCarthy says his agency doesn’t have authority to judge the social impact of projects. McCarthy says the developers haven’t yet made any formal application for permission to build, but likely will get the go-ahead, if they meet all the state’s requirements for manure management.