'Not In Our Backyard': Septic to Compost Conversion Plan Hits Local Opposition Snag

Mitchell Schmidt reports from an unincorporated area in Linn County near Cedar Rapids: "An inventive approach to converting sewage into compost was halted Monday night by passionate neighbors who said they didn’t want the project — and its potential associated odors and detriments to water quality and property values — in their backyards."

At a packed meeting, the Linn County Planning and Zoning Commission denied a conditional use permit requested by Miene Septic. The company would have used 40 acres to convert septic waste to compost. The site is zoned for agricultural use, which allows for a sewage treatment plant under the county's zoning code. Opposition was organized by a group called Not In Our Backyard.