Nwaonline

Panel to consider hog farm's request

by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission will meet Friday to hear a petition to stay environmental regulators' denial of a new operating permit to C&H Hog Farms, among other issues.

C&H Hog Farms owners have asked the commission to stay the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality's denial of the farm's new operating permit and to allow the farm to continue to operate under its expired permit while the farmers appeal the denial.

The commission approved a similar petition about a year ago when the department issued its first denial of the farm's application.

The farm's owners also have proposed as an alternative a stay that states that the commission believes continual operation of the farm is appropriate but ultimately denies the stay because relief has already been granted by Newton County Circuit Judge John Putman when he placed a stay in October on a commission decision allowing the department to reopen the permitting process for the second denial.

NW News on 01/20/2019