A major hog producer in northern Missouri has a month to reach agreement with the state on how best to reduce odor from its hog farms.
Premium Standard Farms filed a motion in Jackson County Circuit Court with a proposal to reduce pollution and odor at 11 concentrated hog farms in northern Missouri. The Attorney General’s office countered with a memorandum in opposition.
Deputy Attorney General Joe Dandurand says the two sides have agreed to negotiate, since PSF cannot comply with the original July 31st deadline for environmental compliance.
“Because of that impossibility and because we do believe that good faith efforts have been made on their part to come to an agreement with this team about what needs to be done. Then, we recognize that if they’re willing to do what was recommended, they’re going to need a little more time to do it and that’s what we want to try to accomplish,” Dandurand tells the Missourinet.
Dandurand says the sticking point is odor. He believes the two sides are very close to resolving the issue with PSF getting more time to comply.
How would Dandurand characterize negotiations with PSF?
“In a word, I would say that they have been fruitful and I’m cautiously optimistic that we’re going to get this agreed to,” according to Dandurand.
Premium Standard entered into a consent agreement with then-Attorney General Jay Nixon in 1999 in which the company agreed to install “Next General Technology” to deal with complaints from neighbors about the impact of its huge hog confinement operations, especially the odor they produce. Another consent judgment in 2004 extended the deadline for installing the technology until July 31st, 2010. After the deadline passed, the Attorney General’s office agreed with PSF to extend the deadline to September 1st.
AUDIO: Brent Martin reports [1:15 MP3]
