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Scottsville planners and residents press county on proposed CAFOs; resolution scheduled Wednesday
Summary
Commissioners and residents raised air‑ and water‑quality concerns over proposed concentrated animal feeding operations near Scottsville and urged attendance at a county meeting where a CAFO‑related resolution is scheduled.
Commissioners and residents at the Scottsville meeting described growing local concern about investors buying large tracts north of town for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), saying the projects could affect air quality, water quality and tourism. The group noted other counties had rejected similar proposals and urged closer scrutiny by supervisors.
"We're just really behind," the vice chair said, summarizing public sentiment that Albemarle County may be lagging in local regulation and that CAFO proposals could 'slide in' if towns do not act. Speakers described odors and emissions from large operations and urged the commission to flag the issue to county officials.
Members reported the county will take up a resolution related to CAFOs at a public meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday and encouraged residents to attend and comment. No formal town action was taken at the meeting; the commission discussed whether town staff should prepare a statement to send to the board of supervisors.
Speakers stressed that the discussion is not anti‑farming but focused on industrialized operations: "Nobody's against farming," one participant said. The central concerns were scale, odor, livestock waste management and potential downstream algal blooms that could harm recreation and tourism.
