This year (2025), a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO), which is proposed to house 45,000+ hogs, is seeking approval to build a few miles north of Minneapolis, KS. The following letter has been sent out to people in the immediately affected area to sign and request a hearing to discuss water permits. Please sign and/or send emails by May 10th.

*We are NOT asking for donations. 

Please do your own research into CAFO pig farms.

LETTER:

The community of Minneapolis, KS, has concerns about and objections to the proposed concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) for Ottawa County, Kansas, including, but not limited to:

• Detrimental effects on the quantity and quality of our groundwater
• Detrimental effects on the environment from waste run-off
• Detrimental effects on property values and quality of life due to odor

Our biggest concern is the amount of water drawn from our aquifer. The permit application acknowledges this site is in a “sensitive” groundwater area, meaning the applicants are aware that this facility has the potential to negatively affect anyone who relies on our aquifer. We simply don’t know if our groundwater can handle the volume this facility will use. We all share the same aquifer, and we, like everyone else in Ottawa County, rely on clean and plentiful water to survive. 

We are requesting a public hearing before any permits are granted. This will allow us to contact the Division of Water Resources within the Kansas Department of Agriculture. We believe a complete and thorough study of aquifer levels and recharge rates is imperative before this permit application can even be intelligently and fairly discussed.

Again, the State of Kansas is in a serious and ever-worsening water crisis. Even considering the construction of this facility without a serious study of the water impacts on our aquifer, we believe, is misguided. We are asking for the time we need to evaluate. 

Please consider sharing your concerns and/or objections via email by contacting kdhe.feedlots@ks.gov

Public Notice:  KS-AG-24-085

Facility:             Smoky Hills Pork

Permit No:        A-SOOT-H001 

Attention:         Casey Guccione, Livestock Waste Management Section Chief