OLIVIA -- They are likely to add conditions of their own, but the Renville County commissioners otherwise gave no reason to believe the'll deny a conditional use permit sought by Revier Cattle Company for a major feedlot expansion.
The company is seeking to expand its Norfolk Township operation to hold 10,500 head of cattle, which would make it one of the largest feedlots in Minnesota.
The commissioners took up the issue at a work session Tuesday. They are expected to act on the permit at their May 13 meeting. If the commissioners approve the permit, the cattle feedlot in Norfolk Township south of Olivia will be allowed to expand from 4,500 animal units to 10,500 animal units. The permit is specific for beef cattle, and one animal unit equals one head of cattle. The county prohibits any feedlot from holding more than 2,000 animal units, but the Revier feedlot was grandfathered in when the limit was adopted.
The county's variance board had previously approved action allowing the expansion to 10,500 head.
The county's Planning and Zoning Commission recently recommended approving a conditional use permit for the project on a 4-0 vote, with two abstentions, County Environmental Director Mark Erickson told the commissioners. The recommendation came with 15 conditions the commission would like to see attached to the permit.
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The Revier family wants to invest $4 million to build two total confinement buildings to house the additional 6,500 head of cattle.
Each 200-by-420-foot building will have an underground manure storage area 12 feet deep.
Concerns about odors and emissions associated with the manure and its application, and the wear and tear on roads associated with the operation, emerged as two areas of concern during the discussion Tuesday.
The commissioners said they would like to see a condition attached to the permit requiring the Reviers to notify residents when manure is to be land applied or agitated and pumped from the storage tanks. State law allows feedlots to exceed state odor and emissions standards on 21 days of their choosing each year for manure agitation and application.
The commissioners noted that the Reviers have consistently held to neighbor-friendly practices and would likely continue to notify residents on their own. However, commissioners pointed out that there is always the possibility that a feedlot can be sold.
The commissioners also indicated that they may seek to expand requirements stating the feedlot pays the costs for any township and county road damage that may result from its operations. They noted that state law exempts farm vehicles from weight-limit restrictions for animal husbandry, such as hauling manure. It's not unusual for manure hauling to occur after rain events, or when roads are the most vulnerable to damage from heavy loads, the commissioners said.
Also, most of the manure hauling will take place on gravel rather than paved roads, and can extend to fields six miles from the feedlot, the commissioners said.
The discussion Tuesday focused on the 15 conditions the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended, with only one commissioner expressing his concerns about the expansion itself. Commissioner Ralph Novotny of Hector said he would be voting against the expansion to 10,500 head of cattle.
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Novotny called it "absolutely ridiculous'' to allow an expansion of that size when the county otherwise has a 2,000-animal-unit limit in place. He also expressed concern over the possibility that should the feedlot be sold, it could end up in the hands of owners who have not demonstrated the same environmental stewardship as the Reviers.
