The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at the Dec. 8 regular meeting to approve the Con Agra permit to spread aerated pond sediment on Oakdale farmlands owned by John Brichetto.

The public comment portion of the public hearing for the negative declaration to approve the permit took approximately two hours, according to one attendee. There were a number of comments in support from Con Agra employees, staff, and consultants. There were also a few comments in opposition.

Of note, Con Agra had amended its permit last week to eliminate three land parcels that were in the original application. Those parcels are east of Crane Road and west of the Walnut Street and Oak Avenue area near the more densely populated Rivendell Hollow area and Fair Oaks Elementary and Foster-Moore Christian schools. So there are now 10 ag parcels on that permit.

However, in the presentation to the board it was also stated that the Stanislaus County Department of Environmental Resources has a concurrent permit that has been filed by Con Agra to move the remainder of the aerated pond byproduct sediment materials since it must be spread at agronomic rates. It was not stated who owned the land or where it was located in regards to this other permit.

It was also stated in the presentation that the spreading of the material would start in the most rural parcels and testing would be done.