KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- After the recent announcement that a sizeable egg farm is moving into Northeast Missouri, the Adair County Commissioners decided to revise their CAFO ordinance to make it harder for concentrated animal feeding operations to move into the county.

On Wednesday morning, the Adair County Commissioners voted to adopt Livingston County's amended CAFO ordinance. They said the Livingston County ordinance is more restrictive.

"We've had the opportunity to look at Livingston's CAFO ordinance. We're very impressed with it," said Second District Adair County Commissioner Mark Thompson. "It's a bit more restrictive. We're concerned about the residents here in Adair county. We are not anti-agriculture at all. We want to make sure that if a CAFO does come legally into Adair county, that it doesn't cause problems for any of the residents in Adair county."

The commissioners said the Livingston County CAFO ordinance was created with the help of legal advise from a Kansas City lawyer who specializes in CAFOs.

KTVO took a look at both ordinances and found some noteworthy differences, which include:

•  An added section that explains construction commencement
• An added definition of what is considered a confinement building and lot.
•  An added section that dictates floodplain boundaries.
• Changes in the naming of the different types of CAFOs. The new names are consistent with the naming used by the Missouri DNR.
•  The new ordinance states that prior to the owner/operator obtaining a county health permit, they must notify adjoining neighbors about the amount and types of animals that will be housed in the facility, along with providing their waste-handling and layout of facility. The owner/operator must also provide neighbors with the location and number of acres of the facility.
• The CAFO applicant must also provide the commission a nutrient management plan for soils.
• The new ordinance states dry animal waste shall not be applied within 1,000 feet of an occupied dwelling which existed prior to the date a CAFO is constructed. The old ordinance stated the owner could not apply dry animal waste within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling.
•  The new ordinance has larger setback distances. This is the distance between CAFOs. The buffer distances are also increased.
• An added cash, surety bond schedule for smaller Class II CAFOs.
• The initial fees are higher for smaller CAFOs including the Class IC and Class II.

Commissioners said the new CAFO ordinance for Adair County is effective as of Dec. 28, 2011. It is available at the Adair County Clerk's Office.