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To
the editor:
We wonder how many of you
are aware of the newest addition to the Pleasantville community--a hog
confinement building being built less than two miles from the city limits of
Pleasantville? Perhaps not very many, because even those of us who live near
where the building is being constructed were not aware of the plans to locate
the facility here.
Pleasantville is already suffering from the horrible odors and fumes from the
confinement building which is three miles from town. This newest one will be
even closer.
This facility for 2,490 hogs is being built closer to a neighbor's home than
to the owner's home. They are following the trend; according to Nathaniel
Baer, Policy Advocate for the Environment Iowa Research and Policy Center,
86 percent of these facilites ARE located closer to another residence than to
the owner's home.
In addition to the unbearable odors (not just when the manure is being
spread, but throughout the year) and the detrimental effects on water
quality, we know that hog confinement toxins cause people and pets to be
nauseated and/or have seizures. These are but two of the symptoms of exposure
to hydrogen sulfide, a chemical in hog manure. We know that the fly
population will increase, and we are also concerned about the cruelty of
raising hogs in this manner.
The 2,490 hogs that will be confined and fed near our homes will not be
locally owned, but instead owned by a mega out-of-state corporate
agribusiness. The 11 families who live within a mile of the new building and
those who attend the nearby church will experience a significant negative
impact on their quality of life and at least a 30 percent decrease in
property values due to the proximity to the hog confinement operation.
To cite an example, Tammi Poppe, a former Iowan, said she and her family moved
from their acreage near Clear Lake back to Wisconsin
after a hog facility was built one-quarter mile from her home. "We
couldn't sell it, the bank wouldn't sell it, we lost everything," said
Poppe, who was forced to file for bankruptcy. Poppe notes that within three
months of moving away from the confinement building, their toddler and their
pet were no longer having seizures.
We are devastated by what is happening in our neighborhood. You are welcome
to call any of us to visit more about it.
Dorlene Carr
Edna Clark
Cynthia Crane
Owen and Linda Golay
Arland and Sharon Jolly
Bob and Deb Van Waardhuizen
Wendell and Irma Williams
Pleasantville
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