The Missouri Department of Natural Resources issued a construction permit Friday, Aug. 31, to Dennis Gessling for a new farm hog operation two miles west of Arrow Rock, according to a DNR news release.

The controversial permit will allow for construction of a Class IC concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) that will house 4,800 hogs.

A number of residents in and around Arrow Rock objected to the development of the CAFO and appealed to the DNR to withhold the construction permit, but DNR officials have maintained that if the application met state standards the agency would have no choice but to approve Gessling's request.

Residents formed an organization, Citizens to Protect State Parks and Historic Sites, to fight the project.

CPSPHS members based their opposition on several issues, including the proximity of the hog operation to the village of Arrow Rock, which is about two miles east of the proposed site, and the effect the CAFO might have on water quality and quantity in the area.

"We are disappointed that DNR saw fit to serve only the interests of 'Big Ag,' which owns the hogs and fronts the money for these factory operations," said David Finke of Arrow Rock, treasurer of CPSPHS.

At a public meeting in Marshall convened by DNR officials, CPSPHS spokesman Whitney Kerr vowed that the organization would file lawsuits to stop the Gessling project.

Kerr could not be reached Tuesday morning and the specifics of the group's plans to file litigation were not immediately available, but Finke indicated that the plans will move forward.

"Our part in this fight has only begun," he said. "We now have no choice but to enter the litigation phase."

Gessling has maintained that his operation will not produce the odor or water problems his neighbors fear, noting that his current operation, which is similar in size, generates no complaints from neighbors.

Gessling could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning, Sept. 4.

"We must continue to be fair and consistent," said DNR Director Doyle Childers. "(The agency) understands the many concerns over this permit, but, in the end, the department does not have the ability by law to address questions of zoning, location, property values, tourism or other items unrelated to water quality."

The waste management system for Gessling's site has been designed and permitted as a no-discharge operation, which means hog wastes are contained in pits beneath the building before being applied to fields as fertilizer.

State regulations limit how close to streams and ponds the waste can be applied. DNR staff said they determined the proposed site meets the pertinent state requirements, according to the news release.

"If the permit application meets all regulatory requirements and demonstrates the operation will protect water quality, the department is obligated by law to issue the permit," officials said.

The permit issued by DNR allows Gessling to begin construction of the facility. After construction is complete, he will have to obtain an operating permit from DNR, according to Darrick Steen, agriculture unit chief in the DNR Water Protection Program.

Steen said the operating permit requires an engineer to verify that the facility was built according to plan. If any changes are made to the plan, DNR officials would probably review them closely in this case, Steen said.

Appeals can be made within 30 days and must be sent to the Administration Hearing Commission, P.O. Box 1557, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or by fax to (573) 751-5018.