Todd Twp. residents hold second community meeting
This article by Adam Watson appeared in The Daily News, May 1st, 2018.
The Todd Township Supervisors will be asked at their Monday, May 14, meeting to consider adopting an
ordinance that would stop a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) from being built in the
township.
The ordinance was created by the Todd Township Community Action Group, a group opposed to the
CAFO. The group held a meeting Monday evening in Broad Top City to present the ordinance and its
possible repercussions.
Township resident Gary Rae opened the meeting held at the Broad Top City community building that was
attended by about 40 other township residents. Monday evening’s meeting, he said, was a follow-up to
one held in March when the group discussed possible well water contamination from a CAFO operation.
The purpose of last night’s meeting was to outline and explain the ordinance before it is finally “tweaked”
and presented to the supervisors. Helping to explain the ordinance was Chad Nicholson, a community
organizer with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF).
Nicholson acknowledged the presence of Todd Township supervisors Bill Hall and chairman Denny Runk.
He thanked them for their service and noted the difficult position they are in.
Nicholson gave a brief history of his company and what they do, which is protecting the health, safety and
welfare of families and the community. While he works with many lawyers within his organization, Nicholson himself is not one.
Nicholson was present to help group members know what they’re really up against. The group, he continued, could face legal action from the state for continuing to pursue stopping of the CAFO, despite the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issuing permits to the proposed CAFO. While DEP was once regarded as a protection agency, Nicholson said it seems to now be everything but that. MORE…