Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
State officials have signed off on a new permit that will allow a large chicken facility on Linn County property between Jefferson and Scio.
The state Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Equality approved the permit, which would allow Brownsville-based farmer Eric Simon to move forward with his planned J-S Ranch confined animal feeding operation, which would house more than 500,000 chickens at a time and perhaps raise 3.5 million per year.
Environmental groups, including the Center for Food Safety, and residents opposed to the operation criticized the issuance of the permit and vowed to appeal.
“Once again, ODA chooses to ignore family farmers and put corporate profits ahead of community and environmental health,” said Amy van Saun, senior attorney with the Center for Food Safety, in a press release issued by the organization.
“ODA’s decision demonstrates that factory farms won’t be held accountable for their pollution.
“We will go back to court to hold ODA accountable to our federal and state laws. (We) will continue to represent family farms and communities around the country in the fight for their rights to clean water and a healthy environment.”
According to the center’s release, the permit requires only minor improvements to the operation and minimal additional monitoring, failing to address most of the issues that brought farmers and community members to court.
Key issues that have been discussed in the chicken farm issue, which has been roiling the region for nearly three years, are whether state officials are adequately considering the impact of the farm on the North Santiam River.
The J-S Ranch operation, according to the permit, will be required to take daily water readings and make certain water from under its barns does not reach the river.
According to media reports, Simon said he hopes to begin work on the facility next spring.
