Livestock Facility Siting

A strategic issue is facing both Illinois livestock and grain producers; the decline of animal agriculture in Illinois (Goldsmith and Hedris, 2001; Goldsmith and Kim 2002). Recently the Illinois Legislative Assembly noted this as the number one issue facing agriculture in Illinois. One central topic that the community is wrestling with is the role of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the future of Illinois agriculture. These are units housing large numbers of livestock; cattle, dairy cows, swine and poultry. At issue is the balance between these more intensive production systems and their neighborhoods. Illinois Livestock Management Facilities Act (1996) was designed to regulate CAFO’s. The Illinois Department of Agriculture states that only 35% of the farms (128 of the 490 CAFOs) have submitted their nutrient management plan. This plan which was part of the LMFA is now a central ingredient to the new USEPA CAFO Rule (2002) designed to protect local water supplies and surface waters. If livestock is to grow in the State of Illinois the industry can not be out of compliance with law. The issue is more than a legal issue it is a political and an economic issue. Research by Goldsmith (2002) identifies the risk environment due to neighborhood problems as a factor limiting livestock investment.

The objective of this research is to:

1. Assess the level of compliance with LMFA IL Title 35 and the new USEPA regulations
2. Understand why many Illinois large farms are not in compliance
3. Recommend steps to improve compliance
4. Assess the degree to which compliance will improve neighborhood relations