Illinois Livestock Operation to Build Industrial Hog Facilities in Crawford County
- jchilds61
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Permit applications for two new industrial scale hog facilities were announced at the August 13th Crawford County Land Conservation Committee meeting. In the applications, Gruber Livestock of Illinois proposes to raise roughly 5000 hogs in Marietta Township near the site of the impending construction of the Roth Feeder Pig II expansion.
Gruber Livestock has applied for two separate building permits, each for 999.6 animal units, putting each building just shy of the state threshold for DNR oversight, which is 1000 animal units. An “animal unit” is 1000 pounds of animal, in this case 999.6 animal units would equal roughly 2500 hogs.
Without state DNR oversight it is the duty of local governments, county and township levels, to oversee these industrial operations and ensure they act responsibly as good neighbors.
On the county level: Crawford County has a recently updated Manure Storage Ordinance, plus a Livestock Siting Ordinance that kicks in above 500 animal units, so two permits will be required from the County, along with a review and comment process.
On the township level: Marietta Township has no tools in place to guide this sort of development and protect their roads, water, air, and property values, other than issuance of a standard driveway permit.
Statewide development patterns show that industrial scale livestock operations tend to locate in clusters…the one feeder pig operation already operating in Crawford County (and its impending second facility) will attract additional operations in a 50 mile radius, as we are now seeing happen. Crawford Stewardship Project strongly urges townships to consider this pattern in their comprehensive planning processes, empowering local communities to guide incoming industrial development through operations ordinances that serve to protect public health, safety, land values, and natural resources. Ordinances are not retroactive, so townships that wish to have a voice in development must act before new permits are filed.
Crawford Stewardship Project is dedicated to keeping these permitting processes as transparent and open as possible, ensuring that all stakeholders have a voice. We will be participating actively in these processes and keeping you posted along the way. If you are able to help support this work please visit CSP's donation page.
If you’re interested to learn more about operations ordinances, or talk more, please reach out to Forest at fjahnke@crawfordstewardship.org or text/call (608) 632-2183.