By Mark Coddington
mark.coddington@theindependent.com

KEARNEY -- A controversial closed-loop dairy proposed near Ravenna gained approval from the Buffalo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday afternoon.

The board voted, 5-2, to approve a special-use permit for a 7,500-head dairy for Ken, Ron, Dennis and Jerry Woitaszewski of Wood River on a site about three miles southeast of Ravenna.

The operation would house the cows in enclosed buildings while using a methane digester to convert the manure into electrical power.

It has drawn strong resistance from scores of neighbors who have cited concerns about water quality, lower property values and odor.

The resolution passed by the board included many restrictions, including a clay liner for the digester, several monitoring wells and regular checks of soil quality by an agronomist.

The board narrowly denied approval for the project in January, when its 4-3 vote in favor fell short of a two-thirds majority required by a protest by neighboring landowners.