By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
LARNED—Innovative Livestock Services has filed a permit application to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for a cattle facility near Larned.
The proposed Innovative Livestock Services facility is designed to house 88,000 beef cattle and will feature open lot pens, storage areas, sediment basins and waste storage ponds.
The facility would be situated about 10 miles south of Larned.
The KDHE will have a public hearing on the proposed feedlot at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Larned Community Center, 1500 Toles Ave.
An informational session will be before it at 5:30 p.m. The public comment period will close after the hearing.
Merrill Cauble and Felix Revello, longtime residents of Larned and Pawnee County, plan to attend the public hearing and advocate for the region.
"We ain't no strangers to the cattle business, and we know how these multi-million-dollar corporations are going in here and just ruining these small communities," Cauble said.
They outlined concerns regarding water contamination, air pollution, economic effects and the need for further testing.
Cauble detailed ongoing air quality issues in Larned, saying there is a persistent stench and dust containing decomposed plant material, fecal matter and ammonia, which can worsen respiratory problems.
"To go out and have a nice evening with the family or friends out on your back porch for a barbecue... it ruins the day and evening. You have to take everything inside because it's intolerable outside," he said.
Innovative Livestock Services' marketing director, Mary Soukup, said the Great Bend-based company has eight existing feed yards, including three in Pawnee County. The proposed feedlot would be the company's first built from the ground up.
"We are proud of the permit application and the design of the feed yard. We're excited for this as the future growth of our company," she said.
Revello said Larned is a great community but noted travelers and social media users often criticize the city due to its air pollution.
"One incident that I recollect was a person who was staying overnight in a motel who said the stench was so bad that they were never so happy to get inside and close the outside air off," Revello said.
Soukup acknowledges community concerns and says the company has worked with feed yards and environmental experts to meet regulatory requirements.
According to Soukup, the proposed facility location was intentionally chosen to be about 10 miles from Larned.
"We have a long-standing track record of being a good neighbor, and I'm certain that with the new feed yard, that will continue," Soukup said.
Revello said existing feedlots have already polluted groundwater with nitrates, and the proposed facility’s location in a sensitive groundwater area heightens concerns about further contamination.
"It's one of the most dangerous places where you can locate a feedlot like this," Revello said.
The feedlot could further deplete the aquifer amid Kansas' ongoing water crisis, exacerbating water challenges in surrounding counties already facing depletion issues, Cauble said.
Revello argued the feedlot offers minimal economic benefits since Innovative Livestock Services runs its own fuel and irrigation business. Cauble said the local farm economy has recently declined due to the already established feedlots.
"Back then, there were more farmers before this big corporation started putting these family farms out of business here in the county. We used to have five different implement dealers. There's zero now," Cauble said. "The population of Larned has steadily declined. They probably employed five to 20 people."
Soukup said the proposed feedlot will create about 70 well-paying jobs with benefits once it reaches full operation.
"We're going to add to the tax base in the county," she said. "There are a lot of corn farmers in that area. We are going to create a new market opportunity for those farmers to sell their grain at harvest too."
Soukup also plans to attend the public hearing.
Cauble and Revello also shared concerns about the strain on local infrastructure, as increased truck traffic could wear roads and burden taxpayers.
Revello also said the KDHE permit application relies on estimations instead of verified groundwater safety data, calling it unacceptable given the risks.
KDHE has drafted a proposed Kansas Water Pollution Control Permit for the facility, which is available on its website.
"We want our water fully tested and investigated to find out what's in it and how it's getting there. Then, eliminate those problems before any new feed yard," Revello said.
Cauble and Revello provided a community impact statement outlining how stockyards divert profits from rural communities and a document providing background on Larned and Innovative Livestock Services. You can view the documents below.
Questions or written comments can be directed to Casey Guccione at the KDHE BEFS-Livestock Waste Management Section via email at [email protected] or by phone at 785-296-6432.
You can also register to view the informational meeting and public hearing via Zoom.
