Concerns raised over proximity of hog farm to river

By Ginna Young

It seems a large head hog farm, known as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO), is headed for rural Rusk County, owned by Four Mile LLP and operated by Paul Ruen. According to the site plan, the CAFO operation will be located on 310th Avenue, off of County Hwy. G, in Sheldon.

The proposed operation submitted a preliminary application in February of 2020, for coverage under a water quality protection permit from the DNR. Since then, Four Mile dropped the number of swine originally planned, from 6,000 head to below the level requiring DNR permits.

With all their “t’s” crossed and “i’s” dotted, the Rusk County Land and Conservation Division gave Four Mile preliminary approval, July 13, to locate the farm in the spot they chose, 1,250 feet from the Jump River.

If the operation would go over the specified number of swine they are permitted for, the process would need to go back to the permitting agencies.

“I don’t know who is going to be the watchdog that does that, so that is kind of concerning to me,” said Lake Holcombe Town Board chairman Brian Guthman.

The same group approached the Town of Cleveland a couple years ago, but pulled out of the project, after many residents there opposed the operation. Four Mile stated it didn’t want to be in a township that didn’t want them there.

Final permitting approval now rests with the Marshall Town Board, which, if rumor is true, sounds as though it will be approved. While the large-scale operation could bring employment and opportunity with it, some Holcombe residents aren’t so excited about the prospect.

“I don’t have anything against a pig farm or a dairy farm,” said Holcombe resident Larry Becker. “But to be that close to the Jump River, that concerns me.”

Phosphorus levels in that area are already high and as most people know, pig manure is rife with phosphorus. Becker says if the operation was within 1,000 feet of the river, more restrictions would have been imposed.

He admitted the swine farm project does have berms and other precautions taken, so if a spill occurs, the leak would run away from the river. Still, Becker remains concerned, as human or equipment error has been known to happen.

“If something was to leak or spill…if it was to reach the Jump, it will kill this lake,” said Becker. “It would kill this lake, as far as fish and the game that are in the lake.”