Moark begins $30M Neosho expansion

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources this month approved construction and operating permits for Moark to invest $30 million in its Hathaway Farm site, adding 13 poultry houses, three manure storage buildings and an egg-processing building. The project replaces some existing facilities.

Conditions of the permit limit Moark to constructing the buildings in stages. As each building meets state and federal regulations, construction can begin on the next. Thus far, according to Moark’s Midwest Division Manager Dan Hudgens, one poultry house and the egg-processing building are complete, and another building will go up every 12 weeks.

Moark will house 2.6 million egg-laying hens at Hathaway Farm after the expansion is complete, with its products available in most local grocery stores under a variety of brands.

Foul odor

Part of the expansion includes the installation of closed-house tunnel ventilation technology that dries chicken manure to reduce the odor it produces. The new process will cut manure moisture levels to about 50 percent, drastically reducing the smell, Hudgens said.

That’s not enough, says Neosho resident Rick Bussey, who has spearheaded efforts since February to prevent Moark from expanding its operations. He and more than 3,000 residents signed a petition to stop Moark because they say the plant emits an unbearable odor.

“They’re affecting the way of our life,” he said. “When you can’t go outside to do your chores because it stinks so bad, that’s beyond anything anybody should have to put up with.”

Hudgens said the system has been proven to successfully reduce odors at other poultry plants across the country, but Bussey isn’t so sure.

He and fellow opponents suggested DNR first issue Moark a construction permit for its building, wait to ensure the new technology works, and then issue an operating permit, instead of issuing both simultaneously.

“Once you’ve got this set and they’ve got the concrete poured, it’s going to be hard to get rid of them,” Bussey said.

Rep. Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, also has spent the better part of 2005 fighting Moark’s expansion, taking the public’s concerns to DNR and attempting to pull other legislators on board in opposition.

Wilson said Neosho residents who come to him are concerned about the effects Moark could have on the environment, including contaminating the groundwater, damaging the air quality and using an excessive amount of groundwater.

“They’ve been very proactive in letting their wishes be known,” he said. “I responded to their concerns, as I should as a representative. I was very disappointed that DNR felt they had to issue all the permits.”

Several residents filed appeals with DNR against the permit approval, Wilson said, but the 30-day deadline to do so has since passed. He said opponents to the expansion will continue to file odor complaints and work to have laws changed that regulate companies such as Moark.

While Bussey said he has no plans to sue Moark in the near future, he may consider it down the road if no headway can be made.

“It’s not a last resort, but nobody wants to do that,” he said. “This is going to be an ongoing thing. We’re not going to just quit.”

Hudgens said Moark has made a considerable effort to educate the public to the improvements the company is making, and an air station is being built on site to monitor the air quality in Neosho. The station will be complete in January and will be run by students and researchers from a nearby university or college, he said.

The expansion will add at least 50 jobs to Moark’s 350-member staff. Gib Garrow, director of economic development for the city of Neosho, said he has always supported Moark’s presence and the role it plays in the local economy.

“Any time you have job additions, the payroll turns over seven times in your community,” he said. “They’re updating technology – they’ll be more efficient and environmentally friendly.”

Blocking bird flu

As the Moark facility expands and technology advances, the company also is taking a stronger stance against the avian influenza virus that infects birds. The H5N1 bird flu strain that started in Asia has killed dozens of people there.

The flu has always been a threat to any poultry plant, Hudgens said, and strict guidelines and procedures have always been in place at Moark to protect chickens and employees from being infected. As worries about the bird flu showing up in the United States rise, Moark is taking extra precautions.

“We’ve done it for years; the only thing we’ve done is we’ve re-highlighted it and brought it to the forefront once again,” he said. “We’re extraordinarily prepared.”

All Moark employees are prohibited from owning avian species at home. If an employee or a guest to the facility has been in contact with an avian species in the last 72 hours, they must go through Moark’s cleaning procedure and change clothes. All guests and employees also must wear head-to-toe suits while on company grounds.

All buildings are closed and locked, and no one from the outside can enter without passing through security checks. Camera systems monitor the facilities, and no equipment is moved from building to building without being sanitized.

Most cases of the bird flu stem from ranches where different species of birds flock together, and where humans often interact closely with the animals without taking precautions.

Hudgens said a blood sample is taken if a bird is thought to be infected. Depending on the strain, the bird could be vaccinated or eradicated.

The danger is high if the bird flu makes an appearance in southwest Missouri, Hudgens said.

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