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So at the commission's regular meeting Tuesday, Kvasager and the other commission members decided to discuss the matter again and voted to grant the special use permit.

Clark Cronquist, a cattle rancher from Gilby, N.D., was one of about 10 producers who have discussed the issue with Kvasager.

Cronquist said he sympathizes with the people who live near the site where the pulp and tailings are to be dumped, but he has to feed his cattle.

"We had this flood this summer and we had a lot of carryover hay supplies and then our cows started having involuntary abortions," Cronquist said.

Mycotoxins
Cronquist had his hay tested, and the tests showed it was high in mycotoxins, which is produced by molds.

"Mycotoxins produced by mold in hay can often cause abortions," said Jeff Kramer, a veterinarian at Kindness Animal Hospital in Grand Forks. were looking for something else. I had made a deal with Tom Brule to have him haul us the pulp when we were done with our silage."

Tom Brule, a Gentilly, Minn., farmer and owner of Thomas Brule Trucking LLC, has a contract to collect sugar beet pulp and tailings from American Crystal Sugar Co. He then has to dispose of the byproduct. He can deliver it to livestock producers for livestock feed or spread it over the ground in the winter and plow it under in the spring.

Cronquist said he has been feeding beet pulp to his cattle for the last three years.

Cut and dried?
"When the Planning and Zoning Commission approved the permit, we didn't go to the County Commission meeting because we thought it was cut and dried," Cronquist said. "Then when they had the meeting and the County Commission denied the permit, Tom (Brule) said 'I guess if they don't want pulp spread on land in Grand Forks County, I shouldn't be hauling it for feed either.'"

So Cronquist and the other ranchers went to the County Commission two weeks ago and told the commission about their problem.

Cronquist admits he isn't an expert, but he and the other cattle producers went out to look at the site where the beet byproducts were going to be dumped and didn't think it would cause any problems.

"I sympathize with those people because it is an unknown," Cronquist said. "But we do need cattle feed."

In the meantime, the people who live near the dumping site have scheduled a meeting with the County Commission.

"This morning (Wednesday) we went to see the state's attorney and the county auditor, Doris Bring, and we have an emergency meeting set up for 9 a.m. tomorrow morning," said Kim Johnson, who lives less than a half mile from the site. "We are going to discuss two things. One, why the agenda didn't state the reconsideration of the permit, and two, I am supposed to be notified 30 days prior to the permit because I live less than half a mile from the dump site."

The meeting will take place in the County Commission meeting room on the sixth floor of the County Office Building.

Odor, flies, traffic
Residents who live near the site are concerned about odor, flies and an increase in traffic in the area.

They are also angry because they were not informed that the County Commission was going to discuss the sugar beet byproducts.

"It's such an injustice," Eileen Channel told a Herald reporter Tuesday night. "Mr. Brule blackmailed the county commissioners.

"Why should Brule have that power over them (the commissioners)... We had no idea it was on the agenda or we would have been at the meeting," Channel said.

Channel lives 7 miles north of Grand Forks, about one mile south of the site where Brule wants to dump the beet tailings.

Grand Forks County Commissioner Connie Triplett, who attended Tuesday's meeting, said she wished those residents had been better informed about the meeting.

Triplett has consistently voted to grant the special use permit and voted for it again on Tuesday.

Triplett said she wished Commission Chairman William "Spud" Murphy had called the residents two weeks ago when the ranchers came to the commission's regular meeting to talk about the issue.

"Procedurally it wasn't handled as well as it should have been," Triplett said. "I think we've gotten ourselves into a little bit of a bog here."

Chance to be heard
"I guess in my opinion when we put the ad in the paper and publish the agenda they would probably be aware of it," said Murphy. "Looking back, I suppose we could have made it more clear. But at least tomorrow they will have a chance to be heard again."

Murphy expects that the residents and the livestock producers will be at the meeting today.

Rick Brown, assistant state's attorney, said the commission can do one of two things: either allow the permit or not.

And, consequently, the ranchers or the residents have the option to take civil action, he said.

"I think they will just give these people an opportunity to be heard again, and then I don't know what they will do," he said.