As CAFO lawsuit heads to Missouri Supreme Court, counties weigh options

As a fight over who can regulate industrial hog and cattle operations awaits action by the Missouri Supreme Court, counties that sought more stringent protections against them wait in limbo.

The Missouri Supreme Court is expected to hear an appeal by county commissioners who sought to regulate concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, after a Cole County circuit judge decided late last year that a 2019 law bars counties from straying from the state’s rules.

CAFOs can be highly controversial in some rural communities. They are generally constructed to house animals in bars with slotted floors, allowing manure to fall through and be pumped into storage. Neighbors of Missouri CAFOs have complained about the stench of ammonia.

Last year, one of Missouri’s largest CAFOs spilled 500,000 gallons of waste. It was fined $18,000.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/government-politics-issues/2022-03-27/as-cafo-lawsuit-heads-to-missouri-supreme-court-counties-weigh-options