Lawmakers hear about nuisance livestock operation in Orleans village and consider legislative fixes
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Summary
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, John Wallley, general manager for the Village of Orleans, told senators an on‑site livestock operation he described as holding up to 75–200 pigs is producing odor, animal escapes and waste‑management problems that the village says fall into a regulatory gap; the committee offered caution about broad statutory changes.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, members of a state senate committee heard testimony from John Wallley, general manager of the Village of Orleans, about a livestock operation located inside the village that residents say is creating strong odors, animal escapes and waste problems.
Wallley told the panel that the site once hosted regular commission sales and auctions but over time became a single-operator livestock operation. “Anywhere from, let’s say, 75 to 200 pigs” have been present at times, he said, and the operation sits “right into the middle of the village,” bordering an elderly housing development and downtown businesses.
Wallley said he had contacted the local health department, which told the village odor by itself is not a public‑health violation, and that the village reached out to HGA Natural Resources to confirm environmental conditions because a village well and the Willoughby River are nearby. He described a storage area for animal waste that is near a steep slope and a trench and said attempts to arrange for neighboring farmers to take manure failed because the waste contained plastics, bones and other contaminants.
The village has tried to acquire the parcel over several years, Wallley said, but owners repeatedly raised their asking price; he said he believes the deed is currently in the operator’s name. The operation’s location is subject to town zoning (the site is in the town of Barton), and Wallley said there is currently litigation between the town and the owner that could affect enforcement.
Committee members acknowledged the nuisance complaints but urged caution about adopting a broad, statewide law in reaction to a single local situation. One committee member said changing statutes could have unintended consequences for other property owners and urged carefully scoped solutions and clear communication of any new rules to towns and cities.
Wallley also reported that neighbors complained of increased rats and wildlife last summer and that local police had been involved at times. He urged the legislature to consider whether clearer regulation or guidance could prevent similar operations from locating in village downtowns in the future.
The committee did not take formal action on the testimony. The chair said the committee is working on the bill's sections and would follow up as needed; Wallley thanked the committee for the opportunity to present.