EPC votes to uphold license for Humboldt hog facility

The State Environmental Protection Commission voted 5-2 after a day-long hearing Tuesday to uphold a permit for a large-scale hog operation planned for Humboldt County in north-central Iowa. Several residents spoke out against Heartland Pork’s plan to build a four-thousand head hog operation near Gilmore City. Louie Fallesen of Gilmore City was one of the people to speak to the the commission, and was disappointed with the final vote.He says the E-P-C basically said they had to follow the laws and laid it back on the legislature and had to permit it. Fallesen and others had argued the operation would hurt groundwater due to sink holes, ag wells and other characteristics of the land.He says the people of Gilmore City are assured of groundwater contamination if the operation goes ahead. Fallesen says those opposed to the hog operation have one other avenue.He says he’s sure the issue will now go to litigation. Humboldt County residents had some hope the E-P-C would overturn the permit for the facility granted by the D-N-R as the commission blocked a permit in October for a facility in Addair County.