State Environmental Regulators Will Launch Online Tool To Track Animal Operations Complaints

A new website from state environmental regulators will make it easier for people to find out information about animal feeding operations in an aim for more transparency – specifically, it will make complaints lodged against them accessible.

Right now, you need a need a court order to get complaint records for farm operations, including swine and poultry. The public can access information only if a violation is determined. But this new online portal makes that process a little easier.

Christine Lawson with the Department of Environmental Quality says the agency will post the total number of complaints it receives and investigates for animal feeding operations. And if a violation is determined, more data will be posted. 

“We will then provide additional information specific to that complaint, which would be the incident number, the date the complaint was received, the county where it occurred, the regional office responsible for the investigation, the address where the incident occurred and the permit or deemed permit number that is assigned to this violation,” says Lawson.

This new measure comes after a legal settlement with several environmental groups.

Lawson says they don't yet a launch date, but are aiming to have the new site up and running as soon as possible.

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