DECORAH - About 100 people attended a public hearing Monday, and not one spoke in favor of a proposed chicken confinement facility.

Neighbors, environmentalists, a physician, a representative of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other concerned citizens shared their concerns with Winneshiek County supervisors.

Resident Steve McCargar said Northeast Iowans are living a "Russian roulette existence."

"We're one lousy development away from having our quality of life destroyed," he said.

Shalom Rubashkin, manager of Agriprocessors kosher meat-processing plant in Postville, submitted the proposal for Cottonballs Poultry Barns but did not attend the meeting.

Monday's hearing dealt with plans to build four production barns - each with 50,000 broilers - near Castalia. Project engineer Gregory Sindt of Ames said another application is being prepared for four additional barns of the same size. He said the chickens would be slaughtered at Agriprocessors.

McCargar noted Cottonballs intends to raise 400,000 chickens every six weeks, which he alleged could have a significant impact on public health because of avian flu.

Dr. Kevin Sand of Decorah said people can get that type of influenza by working at the facility or at live markets. He added the mortality rate for avian flu is 75 percent.

Leana Stormont of Iowa City, president of the Iowa Law Student Animal Legal Defense fund, spoke on behalf of PETA and referred to Agriprocessors recent problems exposed by that animal rights organization. The slaughterhouse came under national scrutiny recently because of kosher techniques PETA maintained were inhumane. She noted the company is also being sued by the Environmental Protection Agency for violations.

"Unless the board takes decisive action to stop it, the deaths of more than 1.5 million animals annually will be left in the hands of a man who can tell you with a straight face that a steer slipping in his own blood, who struggles to his feet and walks while is trachea and esophagus dangle from his cut throat, is not suffering from cruel and inept slaughtering practices," Stormont said.

Board Chairman Dean Darling reminded the audience, however, supervisors only make a recommendation and that based on state law, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will make the final decision.

"If you don't like the law, you need to have a conversation with your state senator and representative," Darling said.

Supervisors will likely make their recommendation on the proposal at their meeting Monday. Their thoughts, along with written comments submitted during the public hearing, will be forwarded to DNR officials.

McCargar, though, said local elected officials need to get beyond saying their hands are tied.

"If we go 20 more years with this process, there will be no place worth living in Winneshiek County," he said. "We're asking you to go to bat for us and do everything you can to protect us from this type of development. Our quality of life is on the line."