Concerns raised about Millenium Ag expansion

A group of around a dozen northern Winneshiek County residents met Monday morning with Winneshiek County supervisors to express there concerns about a proposed expansion at Millenium Ag on Locust Road.

Birgitta Meade told supervisors there are health risks from confinement agriculture.  She said clouds of ammonia created by spreading manure on fields are health concerns for North Winneshiek students.  "This is a real issue," said Meade, asking why so many children nowadays are developing asthma and other health problems.  "This experiment we're doing on ourselves is going badly," concluded Meade.

Steve Mc Cargar said the ammonia contamination of our air "is especially lethal for our children."  Tom Hanson told supervisors that neighbors of confinement operations were just asking elected officials to respect the neighbors' property rights.

Meade questioned how the Millenium Ag investors could ask neighbors to do something the investors were unwilling to do, noting, "They don't have to live here."  Meade said Millenium Ag investor Brad Herman, for instance, did not own a confinement operation within 5 miles of his home.

County supervisors were sympathetic to the residents, but made no immediate promises.  Several of the northern Winneshiek County residents called on the supervisors to request the Millenium Ag investors appear before the county board.