A six-month ban on new livestock permits in Jerome County has been extended by commissioners for another half year, prompting dairy industry officials to consider a lawsuit to challenge the ban.

Commissioners voted 2-1 Tuesday to lengthen the moratorium, which mostly affects dairies, because the county is not finished drafting new confined-animal feeding operation ordinances, said the board.

The extension, which blocks the county from issuing new CAFO permits, gives the county more time to draft those laws. But the dairy industry says it will cripple business and may warrant a legal challenge.

"We're looking at challenging it," said Bob Naerebout, executive director of the Idaho Dairymen's Association. "We didn't see the need for the original moratorium, so we don't understand the need for this one."

The ban, originally passed in May, was scheduled to end this month.

Commissioners said in the spring that CAFOs posed a threat to residents' health and safety. Commissioners worried that dairies in particular may be contaminating groundwater and fostering pathogens, microorganisms that cause disease.

Since then, the county's planning commission has worked to draft new CAFO laws, which commissioners had expected to be finished this month. The planning commission said it needs more time to finish the laws.

In the meantime, the county will adopt an interim CAFO ordinance until the moratorium expires or the planning commission finishes. County Attorney Mike Seib will draft the interim law this week, and it is expected to be adopted by commissioners at Tuesday's meeting.

Matt Christensen may be reached at 735-3243 or at matt.christensen@lee.net.