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Council hears both sides of zoning debate Edgefielddaily.com web posted July 21, 2005  EDGEFIELD - The Edgefield County Council conducted the Public Hearing on the two new ordinances that zoned the entire county and defined Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFO’s last night at the County Council Chambers. The standing room only crowd was more than perhaps expected. Council Chairman Monroe Kneece opened the hearing by reading the ordinances. Chairman Kneece stated speakers would be limited to three minutes. “I think you can say everything you need to say in three minutes,” he said. The Lake Trenton and Courtney Road area residents were in attendance in mass opposing the chicken farm and supporting the ordinances as expected. Unexpectedly, Nadine Horne, who led the charge in supporting the zoning apologized and said, “I was very much backing these ordinances before I really understood them,” saying her main goal was to deal with setbacks, not zoning the entire county. Mrs. Horne said she would still support a, “stand alone ordinance” to control CAFO’s and said such a measure would be, “much simpler to defend and protect.” By luck of the draw (the order of speakers were chosen at random by drawing) Rodney Cato spoke next. “Since I’m the main one in question here,” Cato said, “there is a big question about this mass burial pit. And that is what I want to educate people on mainly.” Mr. Cato explained the pit was to be in place in case of a natural disaster which produced a mass kill. “It is a designed process,” in the unlikely event of such happening, he said. Mr. Cato said there is no run-off from his planned farm his operation was a “dry farm” and as such the fear of water contamination is not plausible. In addition, the manure, which is collected on eight week “clean out” intervals, is used as fertilizer and also is controlled by stringent DHEC regulations. Mr. Cato also pointed out that the Lake Trenton residents who were worried about contamination of Lake Trenton and the ground water from the farm are creating a greater hazard with the surrounding septic tanks needed for the homes than the chicken farm would produce. “I would like for the people of Lake Trenton to take into consideration one thing. All the land around that lake tapers right to the water,” he said, “fifty one homes, fifty one septic tanks. I think that speaks for itself.” An excellent article published by The Citizen News on July 20, 2005 quoted Dr. William Merka, a professor of poultry science at the University of Georgia as saying, “Typically, the most detrimental effect on ground water is a septic tank.” The Lake Trenton residents disputed that claim. Dolly Hobbs of Merriwether stated she is not a “political person, but I do know EPA law and I know DHEC very well, it is part of my job.” She said she has read on Edgefield Daily.com that Mr. Cato, who she said she did not know, “has DHEC approval” and that “DHEC is one of the toughest environmental regulators in the United States so I know his operation has to be clean.” She also said studies have shown that cultivate farmland has decreased by 57% because of zoning. Mr. Wes Knight, Vice President of live operations for Amick Farms, said they have “about 150 contract producers in about seven counties,” and that Edgefield County has not been a large portion of producers, assumed to be because of the large land owners growing peaches or cotton. He said he has never seen, “in my thirty years,” of being in the chicken business any contamination or depreciation of property values due to a farm. Mr. Smith, of the Edgefield County and the South Carolina Farm Bureau said state regulations and DHEC regulations are in place and inserting any further regulations, “would be improper.” Don Stewart said he is all for Mr. Cato, but due to his liver transplant wanted him to take his farm elsewhere. He claims his doctor warns him that problems could result from a chicken farm nearby. Charles Chambliss stated he brought with him a five gallon bucket of chicken manure but council would not allow him to bring it in. He wished to place it on the floor so people could smell it and stated he did not want, “that in my backyard.” Assorted other speakers with several agencies spoke against the proposed regulations and Trenton residents spoke in support of the ordinances. The number of speakers against the ordinances was a 61% majority. The highlight of the night was comments by life-long resident Joel Bridges, “I was raised in Edgefield County, born in Edgefield County, and I reckon I’ll be here till the Lord takes me.” He said he was raised on a dairy farm and even raised beef cattle which suffered when people moving from the city came to the area. “I lost numerous heads of cows, calves,” due to new residents’ dogs being turned loose to run free. “I think the primary issue is not the chicken farm, it’s the zoning of the whole of Edgefield County,“ he said claiming the manner in which it was done was improper. However, the public, and council, got a laugh when he said, “The main reason I came up,“ he said, “was I keep hearing Mr. Adams’ name come up everywhere I go, and well, I was raised on a farm and I ain’t seen a jackass since I was a boy.. I couldn’t miss this opportunity.” Administrator Wayne Adams laughed at the roasting, but was rather “red-faced”. The matter has been referred to the planning commission which will meet tonight at 6:30 pm at the County Council Chambers to discuss the ordinances. Preliminary polling of commission members show the zoning will not get their approval. Several councilmen have said they will act on the advice of the planning commission. “If they (the planning commission) say they don’t like it, it won’t go any further,“ Councilman Willie Bright told Edgefield Daily.com. County Council Chairman Monroe Kneece stated that if the ordinances were disposed of in the future Mr. Cato would be allowed to receive his permits for construction of the houses from the county and could begin operations pending the ruling on the granted SC DHEC permits from the Administrative Law Judge. The hearing is due to complaints of the Trenton Lakes and Courtney Road residents. Dolly Hobbs, who deals with DHEC every day in her job said the ruling would go in favor of DHEC, “it’s just a formality, if he passed DHEC review he is going to win,” she said. Return to Main Page
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