State issues permit to hog operation in Cooper County

The state’s Department of Natural Resources approved a permit for a concentrated animal feeding operation in Cooper County.

The state issued the permit for Tipton East, a 7,404-hog operation slated to be built on Renshaw Drive near the Moniteau County line. The farm, owned by Pipestone System from Minnesota, would come with two barns to house the pigs and one barn to compost animals that die.

People living close to the proposed site claim the influx of swine will pollute water sources and air. Pipestone System plans to export manure from their site to nearby landowners for use as fertilizer. Neighbors say this process can cause manure spills, while supporters claim farming technology minimizes this risk.

DNR said anyone adversely affected by the project could appeal the decision to the Administrative Hearing Commission.