(Radio Iowa) – The owners of a cattle feedlot in northeast Iowa are asking to renew a permit that allows the facility to take nearly 22 million gallons of water a year from the Jordan aquifer in Clayton County. Residents asked the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to deny another permit for Supreme Beef L-L-C during virtual public meeting Monday. Tammy Thompson says the application does NOT take into account her nearby private well.

“This permit should not be renewed as is because by doing so it would result in an unreasonable use for only the applicants’ personal gain while negatively impacting residents of the nearby communities of Monona and Farmersburg, as well as nearby domestic well and cattle farming users,” Thompson says. The earlier permit for water use was for fewer cattle.

Larry Stone lives near Elkader.  “I contend that the use of the Jordan water by Supreme Beef for 11-thousnd-600 cattle will result in pollution that impacts the public’s quality of life and Iowa’s land air and water resources,” Stone said. The forum was for public information gathering and the D-N-R employees listened but did not speak. The D-N-R is expected to make a decision on the permit renewal next month.