As lawmakers debate that legislation, however, records show that state regulators are approving the sprawling, factory-style farms at a record rate.

Last year alone, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management approved 106 of the very largest of these farms, clearing the way for more than 2.4 million animals at new farms, according to department records reviewed by The Associated Press.

Those 106 farms are the largest number of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, the department has approved in a single year since it began giving them separate approval in 2003 from smaller farms.

In fact, last year's CAFO approvals represent more than the agency endorsed in the previous three years combined, records show.

Sandra Flum, the department's director of intergovernmental affairs, said the agency saw a "significant increase" last year in applications to build new livestock farms, with those requests rising from about 120 in 2005 to about 160 last year.

"We were much busier last year processing permits and getting approvals together," she said.

Deb Abbott, a spokeswoman for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, said the increase in CAFOs — most of them hog farms — is due largely to strong market opportunities for producers.

But for many, the increase is worrisome.

Sen. Allen Paul, a Richmond Republican, said the CAFO surge is a top issue in his east-central Indiana district.

Source: WISCNEWS.com