Marshall County CAFO Update

July 2015

Hog Factory = Paradise Lost
A sign in Wenona expresses local sentiments about the proposed hog factory.

Citizens in northeastern Marshall County continued to fight against the Sandy Creek Lane LLC hog confinement facility near Wenona. They filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the developer of the facility, VMC Development Corporation of Iowa.  A hearing on the case was held July 2nd in Sangamon County Circuit Court.  The judge ruled the group has no legal standing to pursue such action.  The local citizens group “Save Our Sandy” has concerns, among other things, with the facility being located near Big Sandy Creek.  A county building permit has been obtained and some black construction barrier placed but no construction - yet. 

In a related matter, Molly Hall states in an article in the State Journal Register (April 5, 2015) “According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, confined animal feeding operations in this state have polluted private wells, water supplies, rivers, 672 miles of streams and more than 25,000 acres of lakes”.  Ms. Hall is chairman of Menard Citizens for Clean Air and Water.  The group is concerned about a planned hog confinement facility in Menard County and another in Cass County.

For more on the Menard group, go to www.mc4caw.org.  The Save Our Sandy group’s website is www.friendsofsandycreek.com.