Devils Lake, ND (WDAZ-TV)
Concerned about polluting one of the region's biggest economic drivers.
That's the fear of residents, while supporters say they are just uninformed.
After a decade of house hunting Mary Senger and her husband finally found their dream home in May right along the shores of Devils Lake.
"We saved and saved and saved so we could afford the perfect home," she said.
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But that happiness was short lived.
"It's devastating to us. I mean this is not only just our dream home, but it's our retirement," explained Senger.
Their neighbors may soon have a funky smell.
"We find out that this hog farm is coming, and one of the waste sites is right next to our home," commented Senger.
Grand Prairie Agriculture wants to build a 2,700-hog and pig operation about 10 miles west of Devils Lake. The waste would be dumped on land they own around the lake.
"It all slopes into Devils Lake," explained resident Jeff Kenner.
Which has people worried about the future of this fishing hot spot.
"With spring runoff and the rains, we are worried about the lake being polluted," explained Kenner.
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"They are entitled to their opinion just as much as I am mine," said Taylor Aasmundstad who is the co-owner of Grand Prairie Agriculture.
He and his college buddy Daniel Julson are the masterminds behind the business. They say the pig farm will help with their manure costs and in the long run help farmers locally by competing with elevator prices.
"I'm human too, I want clean water to drink and clean air to breathe," said Aasmundstad.
It will be up to the state health department to determine whether the pig farm is built. Part of their decision will be based on a public meeting later this month.
"There is research that shows there's a higher percentage of people near a waste site that can get MRSA, that have respiratory problems, fatigue, itching, scratchy eyes, sore throat," explained Senger.
"The department of health is going to grant a permit for something that isn't safe, they aren't going to hurt the environment or impact the air quality. If the government says it’s ok, it's probably ok," said Aasmundstad.
Back at Mary Senger's dream home...
"It's just scaring us, and just making us really sad. Really sad. Sorry. It's hard to talk about," she said choking up.
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She hopes the little oinkers won't be leaving a bad taste behind, especially since it’s a hot spot for family get togethers
“Because I think people are more and more environmentally conscious and don't want to stick their little kids in a lake where there's pig poop,” commented Senger.
The North Dakota Department of Health has scheduled a public meeting as part of the review process.
It will be held Wednesday, August 23 at 3 p.m. at Lake Region State College.
