To the editor:

Your water comes from the Jordan Aquifer.

According to the Iowa DNR website, volumes are being pulled out faster than it can refill. Additional demand by the Prestage operation and additional CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) will cause the levels to drop even faster.

Marshalltown schools deal with an average of 8 languages in its classrooms, Storm Lake 37.

Adding ESL teachers, tutors and interpreters in all surrounding, affected school districts will result in additional costs to the school districts, which is passed on to taxpayers. Even so, does that ensure equal, quality education for all students?

Hospitals, clinics, government offices will need interpreters and multilingual employees – more costs to taxpayers.

Obviously there is already a market for the huge numbers of hogs currently moving through the existing CAFOs. With additional demand by Prestage, it’s only logical that there will be a influx of new and expanding CAFOs. That equals more water volumes out of the Jordan Aquifer, more gallons of manure spread on ground, more feed trucks, stock trucks, rendering trucks, and employee vehicles taking a toll on our roads.

Our “officials” keep promoting Iowa’s precious soil and cropland. Why, then, do we continue to cover it with CAFOs (and urban sprawl)? It’s contradictory.

Regarding quality of life for rural residents: My husband purchased our acreage over 25 years ago. Not a CAFO anywhere; now, we are completely surrounded by hog and cattle confinements. Manure is spread on a field only 50 feet from our house. After spring thaw and after harvest, the manure lagoons are cleaned out and the “stuff” is applied…and we can’t be outside for a week due to the instense, burning stench. I am no city slicker; I was born and raised on a farm. But, this concentrated volume is horrific. We have lost our rights as a landowner – our right to hang laundry outside, our right to relax on the deck, our right to be able to work in the yard…because we have to check the air first. This is wrong.

“Be careful what you wish for, Wright County, Franklin County, Hamilton County. There are way too many negatives to the Prestage proposal.

Kathy Carter

Williams