It has come to my attention that there is a new application for an operating permit for George’s Inc. at the Cassville Processing Plant.

I found it on the Department of Natural Resources Web site on Sunday, June 1, 2008, but the permit was dated June 2, 2008. The deadline to write to DNR for comments was June 1.

The application was to add more than 1,100 acres to the processing plant to spray water onto the land. It states that there is a losing stream within two miles.

Barry County already has more then half of the concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in all of Missouri, with Lawrence, Newton, McDonald and Jasper counties coming in right after that of Barry County.

According to the DNR most of the waters of Southwest Missouri are already polluted. Do we need to add another 1,100 acres to the problem?

Written in an article by Wally Kennedy in The Joplin Globe:

On May 16, 2007, Doyle Childers, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, touched on a number of environmental issues during a speech at the first Four-State Regional Environmental Conference in Joplin.

“But maintaining an adequate supply of drinking water,’’ he said, “is the main issue. Southwest Missouri and Northwest Missouri have major water issues.’’

Citing historic cultures that have collapsed because of water shortages, Childers said, “You have to look 20 to 30 years into the future. If you don’t do that, you will endanger your future.’’

Mr. Childers is not practicing what he preaches when he lets more and more pollution sources to enter Barry County. It’s is not just the water in rivers, lakes, streams and creeks, it’s also the groundwater that is being depleted through all the wells being used and the seepage from the karst topography we have in the Ozarks.

When is DNR going to get some common sense?

Beverly Sweeney

Eagle Rock