Opponents of an 80,000-head hog operation in central Alberta haven’t given up their fight to stop the barns from being built in their community.
“It’s still consuming us day and night,” said Lana Love, of the Flagstaff County Family Farm Promotional Society.
Last week justice John McClung of the Alberta Court of Appeal reserved his decision when the group asked for leave to appeal approval of the barn.
The group’s lawyer, Karen Munro, said there are still questions concerning the amount of manure, the smell the barns would generate and air and water pollution. If the justice grants leave, the case will be heard before three Alberta Court of Appeal judges.
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Last November, Taiwan Sugar was given approval to build the barn by the Flagstaff County development appeal board.
It will be at least two weeks before McClung announces his decision on whether to allow the appeal.
Clarence Froese of Winnipeg’s DGH Engineering, spokesperson for Taiwan Sugar, said it plans to start construction of the facility in late April or May “regardless of the outcome” at the Alberta Court of Appeal.
“We’ll be proceeding in May.”
Originally, it had planned to start construction early in the year, but when the development appeal board granted the hog barn’s approval, it also added more conditions.
The company must complete certain geotechnical investigations before construction begins, Froese said.
