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Residents press Planning Commission over proposed mega-dairy after CAFO hearing is postponed
Summary
Residents packed the Lincoln County Planning Commission meeting to oppose a proposed Class A CAFO; speakers cited manure-management gaps, setbacks, flood risks, road damage and health impacts. The applicant’s CAFO hearing (item 2) was postponed from tonight’s agenda.
Residents urged the Lincoln County Planning Commission on March 17 to block or more closely scrutinize a proposed industrial dairy after the applicant asked that the CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) item be postponed from the agenda.
The commission removed Item 2 from tonight’s agenda at the applicant’s request, but the chair opened the floor to public comment on non‑agenda items so neighbors could make their concerns part of the record.
Nut graf: Neighbors said the application and related manure‑management materials are incomplete and that a 6,200‑cow proposal would far exceed typical Class A CAFO thresholds cited during testimony. Speakers pressed the commission to examine setbacks, drainage and public‑safety risks before scheduling a new hearing.
Speakers who described direct experience with nearby industrial dairies included Pam Scholl, who said she has farmed the same ground since 1884 and worries about watershed and aquifer contamination; Terry Nockingate, who described a near‑miss traffic collision involving a manure truck that struck his son; and Deb Sackett, who said proposed parcels include flood‑prone ground and raised odor and flooding concerns.
Attorney Sarah Shaw, representing several landowners, told commissioners the application appears incomplete and that staff and the applicant had requested the postponement after her group filed a letter. "There are several things in that letter that show that this application is not complete," she said, and urged the commission not to postpone the matter indefinitely because a denial bars reapplication for six months.
Several residents pointed to the manure‑management map and said parcels were marked without owner notice. Jason Van said his farm was listed for manure handling despite no contact from the applicant: "Nobody has ever approached me for manure, and nor do I plan on having manure," he said.
County staff did not present the CAFO application tonight because of the postponement; commissioners and staff repeatedly told the public that the removal did not foreclose future hearings and that affected landowners will be notified for any future public hearing.
What’s next: The commission removed Item 2 from tonight’s agenda at the applicant’s request; staff and the applicant will reschedule the public hearing and provide additional materials. Any formal application will be noticed and allow public testimony at that time.
