To the Editor:

Hello, my name is Dave Vanderheiden. I live in Wright County and I oppose Prestage Farm building a slaughterhouse in Wright County. I believe we have enough air and water pollution in Wright County and Iowa.

There is an average of one confinement every 4 miles. We believe that is enough.

The Boone river is within half a mile of this proposed plant. Everyone downstream should be concerned about this – Webster City, Stratford, Boone and Des Moines. And If the people in Des Moines are worried about their drinking water now, they better pay attention to what is happening in Wright County. This affects you.

Prestage Farms has had 39 Ammonia Leaks and six manure spills that equal 63,500 gallons manure in the last 7 years.

The quality of air in this area is already suffering with Daybreak Foods and the fly problem we are already having and it will only get worse. You can’t even go outside and enjoy yourself or visit with your neighbors without flies being all over everything.

The Board of Supervisors are elected officials. I would hope that they would listen to the citizens who elected them and not big money. I hope that the Board of Supervisors will take this in to consideration and not use tax dollars to fund Prestage Factory Farms. It’s not always about money, it’s about our quality of life in Wright County.

When all the water is polluted, then and only then will they realize you can’tdrink money.

Dave Vanderheiden

Woolstock