Court rules against mega hog producer

The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a 59-thousand dollar fine against Iowa’smost notorious hog producer. Bob Brammer, a spokesman for Iowa’s AttorneyGeneral, says the case against DeCoster Farms is now considered the first inIowa’s “three strikes and you’re out” law.Once three cases of environmental rules violations are upheld by the courts,a livestock producer is labeled an “habitual violator” and fines immediatelyskyrocket up to 25-thousand dollars per day for new violations. The case involved an incident which occured in April of 1995 in WrightCounty.Five other alleged DeCoster Farms violations are pending in the courts.