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 WEBCAST: Critics say proposed egg ranch lays a big one
LATHROP March 24, 2007 12:01am 
• Central Valley residents cite pollution, treatment of animals • Is the right to farm absolute? 
Karen Courtemanche
Rogene Reynolds
Karen Courtemanche and Rogene Reynolds point to where egg ranch is planned.
Across the Old River, a British developer is planning a massive planned community of luxury homes -- many of which apparently would be downwind of the egg ranch and its manure piles.
A 900,000-hen egg ranch proposed for San Joaquin County is meeting opposition from its would-be neighbors who cite odor, noise and pollution issues as well as the treatment of the chickens.
Olivera Egg Ranch LLC of San Jose has proposed the massive egg factory on land across Old River from the proposed upscale River Islands at Lathrop master planned development. Odors from the operation could waft across many of the luxury homes in River Islands, says the developer, the Cambay Group Inc., one of the opponents of the egg ranch.
Egg company president Ed Olivera, who was not available for an interview for this story, has said in the past that the state and county laws governing the right to farm protect his proposed plant.
While conceding that nothing in the proposal violates existing law, opponents hope to block the development over issues of noise, the potential for pollution of air and water, the smells from piles of chicken manure, clouds of flies and over the company’s past practices of how it treats its chickens.
CVBT talked recently with Rogene Reynolds, a Realtor whose two-acre homestead is less than a mile from the egg factory, and Karen Courtemanche, director of the nearby Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary, about their concerns.
Please click on the link below to listen or to download to your iPod or PC. Repeated efforts to reach Mr. Olivera were unsuccessful; if he makes himself available to our microphones, we will add his interview at that time.
Drilldown
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