Testimony alleges Tyson expanded operations and increased water use without timely permit modification

Deborah Gordon Helman told the hearing that Tyson's September 2025 submission described a new deboning facility that increased slaughter and processing by what she stated as roughly 125,000 chickens per week and that the facility used substantially more water before permit modification approval; she urged ADEM to delay approval and consider enforcement for regulatory noncompliance.

Don Matthews, a property owner upstream, recounted long‑term withdrawals by the plant and estimated cumulative volumes over decades, arguing that increased withdrawal combined with tourism growth could stress local water quality and flows. "It's my understanding that Tyson through their wells ... drill out like one 1 million 1.2 million gallons of clean water from a pure aquifer every day," Matthews said, describing his concerns about cumulative effects.

Commenters asked ADEM to verify the company's permit filings, sampling records (particularly for phosphorus), and to require monitoring and reporting that allow the department and the public to track compliance.