A confined animal feeding operation that was working without a permit is getting a special exemption so it can continue running.
The exemption applies to a calf farm in Hamilton, Indiana that was being operated without a state or county permit.
Noah Schmucker expanded his operation from less than 300 to nearly 1,000 cattle in the past two years. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management requires operations with more than 300 cattle to get a permit. Schmucker learned this after being audited by Walmart, which buys watermelons from him.
At a special meeting Monday night, the Steuben County Board of Zoning Appeals granted a special exemption, worrying some residents. Niann Lautzenhiser is particularly worried about waste from the CAFO entering a nearby creek.
"The rules still aren't being followed and the manure is in our watershed, which is a problem."
CAFO regulations are currently made county by county. The watershed issue has come up before, since pollution can leave one county and flow into another one. Currently only White County requires a minimum distance between CAFOs and a body of water. The regulations are designed to shield the Tippecanoe River Basin and its residents from pollution and farm odors.