Controversial 500,000-Chicken Farm 1 Step Closer to Reality
PARKER, S.D. (AP) — Turner County has given conditional approval to an egg-laying facility that aims to bring 500,000 chickens to a site near Parker.
The Argus Leader reports the county's board of adjustment voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the application by Sonstegard Foods after nearly two hours of public comment and a closed executive session.
The approval could become final at the board's next meeting, on March 3. Sonstegard must present a biosecurity plan, a waste disposal plan and a new map of the site.
Sonstegard initially had proposed a 6 million-bird operation. It sparked controversy and a lawsuit against the county and the company.
Some area residents still oppose the pared-down chicken farm proposal. They fear possible harm to human health and the environment, and a possible reduction in property values.
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