Cattle expansion to be considered Tuesday

Residents will have a chance to comment about a beef producer's construction plans Tuesday morning at the Clay County Board of Supervisors meeting.

The application, from Jim Christensen and Royal Beef, is part of the state's "master matrix" process. He is approved to for 11,200 head of cattle at his operation, about three miles south of Royal.

"The matrix is a tool that is used by the counties to score a proposed facility," said the county's health and zoning coordinator, Tammy McKeever. "Basically it makes it so that these facilities are put in locations that are going to be friendly to the community, to the air and to the water."

Under the system, producers are awarded points based on conservation measures, including separation distances from high quality water, wells, or residences. The public, through the Clay County Board of Supervisors, can express concerns about a project, but county has limited recourse if a proposal meets state environmental standards.

"If they pass the master matrix, the board cannot turn it down," McKeever said. "They must recommend to the DNR that the permit be granted."

Christensen's application did not receive any written opposition as of Monday afternoon. McKeever doesn't expect any concerns to be raised at Tuesday's supervisors meeting either.

If the Royal Beef application meets scoring standards, a five manure compost structures will be constructed on the site.

A February 2007 proposal originally called for three 1,380-feet-by 100-foot confinement buildings a 1,530-by-100 building and a manure storage building.

"Now they're coming back through and they're requesting four additional manure compost structures," she said.

The application includes a pair of 72-by-252 foot structures, one 72-by-168 foot structure and one 72-by-210 foot building.