A new animal hide recycling facility could be making its way to the RM of Armstrong in the coming months.

A conditional use was applied for by a company that's currently operating in Alberta.

"They take hog hides and clean them, take the fat off for rendering, then salt them down and get them prepared to go into a tannery," says Reeve Jack Cruise. "The project isn't for a tannery, but to get the hides prepared to go there. The building they're proposing to do it in is right inside of Inwood, the old Inwood Creamery actually."

Council decided they'd need more information before they could either approve or deny the proposal.

"Because it's a conditional use there was a hearing where people could speak in favour and opposed to it," notes Cruise. "The main questions from the people in and around Inwood were things like whether or not there is any potential for environmental issues like ground water or nuisance odours. From what we heard, though, it sounds like those concerns could be satisfied. But we just want to check in more before we make a decision on it."

Cruise says they had around 10 people attend the recent meeting, and a lot of them added some input for council. The Environmental Officer was also in attendance to ask important questions, and even provide answers at times. Four jobs would be created right inside Inwood if the proposed plan goes through.

The company will need to apply for an environmental license through the Province to get things started.

"They need to haul the wastewater away from the building," explains Cruise. "The only chemical they use there is salt, the same type you would use on the roads. But still they would put the wastewater from that into a holding tank and they need someplace, a lagoon, to take it to. And because we don't have a lagoon in Armstrong, they have to deal with the lagoons in some of our neighbouring municipalities or in Winnipeg. There are a few things like that we need to iron out before we approve anything."

Cruise feels it's a pretty decent proposal and says they won't approve anything until all their questions have been answered.