Monday: Planned chicken operation raises concerns for river
BY SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer
Sunday, August 12, 2012
8/12/12 at 4:05 PM
WATTS — A Texas man has been given the green light to build six large-scale chicken houses on property he purchased in Adair County, prompting concerns from residents about further pollution from excess poultry waste in the protected Illinois River.
Construction began recently on the houses that will have the capacity to hold 240,000 chickens at a time. In a year’s time, each house has about five batches for a total of 1.2 million birds produced on the 127-acre site.
The houses are 55 feet wide and 600 feet long.
Though the operation sounds immense, Andy Nguyen said he will be the lone worker on the poultry farm. The Garland, Texas, man is a contract grower for Arkansas-based Tyson Foods.
A Tyson spokesman referred questions to Nguyen and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, which approved Nguyen’s application for the poultry operation.
Concerned residents have approached Save the Illinois River and the Cherokee Nation for help.
More than 55 people have signed a petition in an effort to stop construction of the poultry houses.
Read more in Monday's Tulsa World.
Associated Images:
Several chicken houses are pictured from a neighbor's property in Adair County. Plans call for six more chicken houses to be added to the area. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World
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