Adam Prudhomme
Editor
A farmer looking to develop a hog operation in Erinsville has been given the green light by Stone Mills council to begin building, much to the dismay of several residents.
A group known as the Concerned Citizens for Our Community Environments (CCCE) had sought to delay the issuing of the hog farm building permit during a special virtual meeting held June 15. Citing several concerns about nearby waterways and private wells, the group claimed to have evidence of a watercourse in the middle of the property which they say leads to Beaver Lake and could become contaminated by run off from the farm.
Council requested Quinte Conservation visit the proposed site, which is located on Waddell Road, near a church and elementary school, to investigate the claims.
According to a report from Quinte Conservation staff Paul McCoy and Mark Boone, the proposed location of the barn and manure storage is high ground with no wetlands or watercourses. They also say there are no wetlands or obvious drainage channels where the CCCE maps claimed there to be.
According to the CCCE, they say the waterways aren’t present above ground this time of year but continue to flow under ground. The group says they plan to move forward with their own investigation and hire experts to examine the documentation and advise them on the best course of action.
Mark Slack of Slack Family Farms Inc. owns the property. In 2001 he was unsuccessful in getting a farm approved at that same location but this time around has the approval of council, Stone Mills staff and OMAFRA.