A Bartholomew County Committee deliberated for more than two hours Wednesday evening before agreeing on a recommendation that would require concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, to be built at least half a mile from residential-zoned areas.
However, there are still nine more zoning regulations the committee needs to agree on, such as rules that would outline how far a feeding operation needs to be from state roads or public use areas, as well as the many homes in Bartholomew County that fall outside residential-zoned areas.
"We have in the county homes that were built that are not zoned residential, they're just a home in the rural area," says Bartholomew County commissioner Rick Flohr. "Therein lies the problem. Can you be half a mile from every little house out in the country?"
At this rate, it's unlikely the committee will be able to make its recommendations to the plan commission before the county's one-year moratorium on building CAFOS expires in August. The committee was scheduled to be done deliberating last month.
Purdue Extension Educator Kris Medic, who works as the committee facilitator, says the process has become drawn out because the committee, which comprises county officials and residents, is so diverse.
"We're into the stage that's very messy right now," she says. "[But] the committee is made up of people with a variety of interests who have represented them responsibly."
The committee was put together last year after disagreements over the construction of new feeding operations in Bartholomew County pitted livestock farmers against non-farming residents. The group seeks to review and improve the current laws governing CAFOs to avoid such conflicts in the future.
Residents have voiced concerns over the less-than-pleasant smells associated with CAFOs as well as possible manure runoff issues and declining property values. In turn, famers, such as Justin Gelfius, say too many regulations would prevent them from doing business.
"I want to make sure we don't completely limit the opportunity for further ag growth in the county," said Gelfius during the public comment section of the meeting.
While concentrated feeding operations are controversial nation-wide, Medic said banning CAFOs wasn't an option for the community.
"We're here to answer the question ‘where,' rather than ‘yes' or ‘no,'" she said.
According to Medic most of the CAFOs in Bartholomew County are hog farms.
