REGINA – Some Kelvington-area residents are worried their water will be polluted if two 8,000-head hog barns are built near their homes in east-central Saskatchewan.
Sandy Lowndes, a spokesperson for about 24 people who met with Saskatchewan agriculture minister Eric Upshall and the agriculture caucus two weeks ago, said environmental guidelines for intensive hog operations should be stricter and governed by the environment department, rather than agriculture.
“The environmental guidelines are too slack,” she said. “We think that there should be specific things in place where area residents are guaranteed that their water is not going to be polluted.”
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Water contamination feared
Lowndes said the water table near Kelvington is high after several years of above normal precipitation. She said the site of the proposed barns drains to the northwest across her pasture, into a dugout where she waters her cattle and then into Duck Creek. The creek drains into Nut Lake, which supplies drinking water for the Yellow Quill First Nation.
“I’m very concerned that when the manure is spread on the land there is a very great potential for it to run off into my pasture land and where my cows are,” Lowndes said.
As well, she said they are concerned for the Yellow Quill drinking water supply.
She suggested proponents of large hog barns be required to post a $5 million bond first. Then, there would be money to clean up any pollution.
Stands behind act
“That hasn’t been met with a lot of enthusiasm,” Lowndes said.
Upshall said he stands by the Agricultural Operations Act which contains environmental regulations for hog barns.
“I think that the department of agriculture and food has a responsibility to the environment and hopefully through our regulations we will be able to make sure that there are no contaminations,” he said.
Lowndes said the 24 people who attended the meeting are part of a coalition of residents opposed to “intensive, mega, corporate hog barns.” They have appealed to put a stop to the Kelvington project, which has been granted permits by the rural municipality of Sasman.
Upshall said he couldn’t do that.
“I have to live by the departmental regulations because if I don’t I will be involved in every other operation that comes on stream,” he said.
Lowndes said she has been threatened that if she does not side with the project her cattle operation will be shut down.
“When you go to an RM meeting after you’ve been intimidated and threatened that if you oppose these barns your livelihood is going to be shut down, are you going to vote in favor of them or are you going to vote against them?” she said.
“When my RM council tells the news media that it was a two-to-one vote in favor of it, I question the validity of that.”
