Department of Agriculture holds public meeting for Continental pig farm's permit request
Jan. 6—OTTAWA — The Brick Farm Swine, LLC is one step closer to becoming Continental's newest swine finishing facility after a public meeting on a draft permit came and went with no public comment.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) held an open house that was directly followed by a public meeting Wednesday night for a draft permit to install (PTI) as well as a draft permit to operate (PTO) filed by Brick Farm.
According to the Black Farm's PTI the farm wants to build a new finisher barn that would house up to 6,000 head of swine weighing 55 pounds or more. The barn requires an eight-foot concrete pit below the housing area and would have a capacity of 2.5 million gallons.
The farm's PTO lays out the business's plan for manure and insect controls. Included in manure mitigation is a plan for 18 tons of manure compost being spread over 65 acres of crops that will be rotated between corn, soybeans and wheat.
If approved the PTI would be valid for two years with the PTO being good for five years, at which time a permit renewal would need to be submitted for review and public notice.
Division of Livestock Environmental Permitting Chief Samuel Mullins made the trip from the ODA offices in Reynoldsburg to present the request to around a dozen area residents and to answer any questions residents may have. After giving three opportunities for public comment with no takers, Mullins closed the meeting.
Anyone who wishes to make written comments on the topic can still do so by submitting them to lepp@agri.ohio.gov or the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Livestock Environmental Permitting (DLEP), 8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068.
Comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., January 12, 2022. Comments received after January 12, 2022, will not be considered. A copy of the draft permit can be obtained by submitting a public records request.
