Judge rejects permits for northwest Kansas hog operations

A judge has invalidated two state permits allowing construction of large hog production operations in northwest Kansas that environmentalists deemed too close to surface water.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Shawnee County District Court Judge Richard Anderson ruled earlier this month that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment violated state law. The permits were issued for four operations in Norton and Phillips counties in 2017 and 2018, under Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

The operations were under common management tied to prominent northwest Kansas hog farmer Terry Nelson but organized with as separate companies. KDHE allowed construction of each facility up to 250 feet from surface water. A single larger facility would have had to be 500 feet away.