GREEN FOREST -- A legal notice posted by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality provoked some questions from residents about the scope of a project to spread poultry waste.

The legal notice appeared in the Aug. 15 edition of Carroll County News, giving notice of an application by Terra Renewal Services of Russellville to apply "liquid hen waste" at "previously permitted sites in Carroll County." 

The notice set a 30-day time limit for anyone wishing to request a public hearing on the project, which includes five sites on 138 acres owned by Truman Stark near Dry Creek, just south of Green Forest.

Last fall, Terra canceled a proposed application near Oak Grove after public opposition. That project, however, involved not only poultry litter, but liquid waste from Tyson Foods plants in Berryville and Green Forest. The plant waste raised concerns about the presence of metals and other contaminants.

The "liquid hen waste" is produced when poultry houses are hosed out with water, according to Doug Szenher, Public and Media Affairs Manager for ADEQ. He said this site was already permitted for this type of application in 2003, and the permit must be renewed every five years.

As explained in the legal notice, "A public hearing will be held when ADEQ finds a significant degree of public interest." Szenher explained that ADEQ would evaluate that public response on the basis of the issues raised, not just on the number of people who respond. "Mere opposition is not enough to deny a permit," he said. "It must be based on technical aspects."