| To the editor:
There was an operating hearing in Jefferson City last Wednesday, September 19, 2007, on Michelle and Rodney Ozbun's factory farm just 1˝ miles from our beautiful Roaring River State Park.
We will not know what the administrative hearing commissioner's decision is for a while because the attorney general’s Office (representing the Missouri Department of Natural Resources) and the Ozbun’s lawyer, Michael J. Schmid of Schreimann, Rackers, Francka & Blunt (yes, the lobbying firm that has the governor's brother Andrew among its partners) has 25 days to submit written arguments. After we receive their arguments, we will have 20 days to submit our written arguments.
The hearing on the construction permit is still on for January 7 through the 11, 2008. All of these hearings should involve the Clean Water Commission. We are objecting to this type of operation being so close to Roaring River State Park, Roaring River and Table Rock Lake.
I thought your readers might want to know what Schmid said: “Barry County must like CAFOs because they have 266 of them.” He also called us “the boisterous minority.”
Are we a “minority” that wants to have our parks and lakes free of chicken poop, antibiotics, arsenic, ammonia, and etc., plus the chemicals in feed and manure not to mention the odor?
I would like to hear from you, the readers, just to let me know what you think. You do not have get involved if you don’t want to or even use your name. Write a comment in the forum or send me an e-mail here (i_am_tracker@yahoo.com).
Beverly Sweeney
Eagle Rock, MO
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