A 10,467-hog factory farm is attempting to build near farms and homes, near the Poosey Conservation Area in Livingston County. It’s a JBS contract operation, meaning the hogs would be owned by JBS, a Brazilian corporation and the biggest meat packer in the world.
While examining the site for the potential CAFO, shallow groundwater was found on the site.
Perched water is groundwater that is above the main body of groundwater and below surface water.
This possible perched water at the property is getting in the way of the JBS operation getting its permit, and was discussed at an Administrative Hearing Commission meeting in 2020. So, what’s the response from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR)? Unbelievably (or maybe not), they created an “emergency rulemaking process” where they are trying to exclude “perched water” in the definition of groundwater, paving the way for this CAFO and future operations in our state and more groundwater pollution.