Barry County, CAFOs and Ozbun Farms

The Joplin Globe reports (Wednesday, January 10, 2007) on a CAFO application in Barry County (MO) by Rodney and Michelle Ozbun dba Ozbun Farms (Cassville, MO.) The article, Residents Concerned About Poultry Houses, describes concern among neighboring property owners regarding the impact the proposed poultry operation will have on Roaring River. Concerned residents are meeting, Thursday, January 11, 2007, at 7:00 pm, at the All Faith United Methodist Church on Highway 86 in Eagle Rock. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has scheduled a public "informational meeting" on Monday, January 22, 2007, bewteen 4:00 and 7:00 pm, also at the All Faith United Methodist Church.

[MDNR News Release 561] On Oct. 31, Ozbun Farms submitted a construction permit application to the department for a Class IC Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation. A construction permit is required for a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation housing more than 60,000 chicken pullets. A chicken pullet is a young hen that is being groomed to lay egg. The farm raises the pullets from chicks and then sends them to another farm where they will breed broiler chickens. Ozbun Farms' proposed waste management system is a no-discharge operation. This means that process wastes are contained and stored until proper land application of the process wastes can be done.

The department is currently in the process of reviewing Ozbun Farms' permit application. The department must ensure that the permit application complies with Missouri law and that the operations will protect the quality of the water in southwest Missouri. If the permit application meets all regulatory requirements and demonstrates that the operation will protect water quality, the department is required to issue the permit. The department expects to make a final decision to issue or deny the permit in February. [Click on picture to enlarge]