Number of CFOs causes concerns

To the editor:

I recently received information from Jay County Building and Planning Department giving statistics on confined feeding operations in Jay County.

From 1998 through 2017, 190 permits have been issued. The number of animals permitted from 2006 through 2017 are as follows: swine – 201,000; turkeys – 425,000; chickens – 13,602,088 (yes, that's 13 million); ducks – 173,600; and cattle – 3507.

Purdue University’s 2015 study shows Jay County tops the state in number of CFO permits.

I am becoming increasingly concerned about the future of our county. Between wind farms and CFOs, the residents living nearby are having to suffer needlessly.

We need to think of our future. Is this the legacy we want to leave our children and grandchildren? We want to attract people to our county, but who wants to live in a county that is willing to allow unlimited CFOs and windmills, just to bring in revenue?

Once our ground water is contaminated from CFOs, it will be too late. I'm hoping our county commissioners will put moratoriums in place for both CFOs and wind farms. The ordinances need to be made much stricter. The people of Jay County deserve it. Otherwise, I don't think we have much of a future.

Carol Johnston

Rural Portland