The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission denied a special hearing for the Poweshiek County Board of Supervisors on a construction permit for proposed livestock operation expansion near Grinnell. The commission held a discussion in a closed meeting before returning to an open session.
Commission member Mary Boote then made a motion. “I move that we approve the permit because all statutory and rule provisions were satisfied for issuance of the permit. Poweshiek County had approved the master matrix, thereby waiving its right to subsequently object to the master matrix scoring. And the E.P.C. was without authority to hear Poweshiek County’s subsequent and untimely objections to the master matrix scoring,” Boote read.
The commission unanimously approved the motion. The permit was requested Prestage Farms plans to expand a hog confinement facility at the site where they already have two other facilities. Poweshiek County Supervisor Sandy Moffett commented on the E.P.C.’s action after the meeting.
“It was a little unclear as to why they denied it. They denied on technical reasons, not substanative reasons as far as I could see,” according to Moffett. The Poweshiek County Board of Supervisors will decide on Monday whether to appeal the E.P.C.’s decision to the district court.
Chris Johnson, KGRN, Grinnell contributed to this story.