Foster County Planning & Zoning Board

~Citizens against the Mega-Dairy LOCATION ~

Join Us, and Prevent the STINK!

NOTICE:  Our concerned citizens meeting took place at the Armory in Carrington on February 12, 2008,  with approximately 40 people attending.  The main concerns addressed were: the location of the Mega-dairy and its closeness to Carrington and the Carrington aquifer... the possibility of it contaminating our ground water; the fact that we need stricter county regulations regarding large CAFO's (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations such as this Mega-dairy) that want to come to our area; that much of the planning for this proposed Mega-dairy in Carrington was done by some community leaders without notifying the general public. 

Read about a recent manure spill from a mega-dairy lagoon in Maryland.  Do we want to take a chance that something like this could happen to Carrington?

Manure spill could mean months of temporary water supply
Originally published

January 30, 2008
By Gina Gallucci - Frederick News-Post Staff - Maryland

WALKERSVILLE -- For town residents who remember the 1999 sewage spill that forced them to use a makeshift water supply for five months, this could be worse. Test results this week from untreated water show the levels of bacteria and E. coli are greater than in 1999, said Mike Marschner, director of the county's Division of Utilities and Solid Waste Management.

The contamination is the result of a manure lagoon pipe that burst last week, said town commissioner Chad Weddle. The burst actually created two spills, one on Jan. 22 and a second Friday night into Saturday morning.

This spill took about four days to infiltrate the town's water supply, compared to 1999 when it took nine days, Marschner said.

These findings were released during a press conference Tuesday afternoon at Town Hall. The meeting room was packed with media, town and county officials and concerned residents.

More...

Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008
Farmer apologizes for massive manure spill

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"One fear is that what happened in Walkerton, Canada, could happen in our community. In the small Ontario town, which is the site of several dairy farms, seven people died and 2,300 became ill  ...  after drinking water polluted with E. coli, a bacteria contained in cow manure. Cow manure washed into a nearby well after a heavy rain, causing the health crisis, says Peter Rehak, spokesperson for the Walkerton Inquiry, a public commission established to investigate the tragedy."

-Metro Times - Detroit-

CAFO's Surrounding Carrington?

It seems that among the huge crowd at Tuesday night's Planning and Zoning Board meeting, there were a number of other CAFO operators checking out Foster County.  One of the operators seems to be looking to locate a hog factory in this area.  "Now, what is wrong with that?" you might ask.  Well, if our Planning and Zoning Board doesn't put more stringent regulations in place, we just might find thousands of hogs on our doorstep, and from what I hear, hog factories stink even worse than mega-dairies.

It also seems that these CAFO operators might already have their applications ready to submit to the Foster County Planning and Zoning Board.  When Tuesday night's meeting didn't go quite as well as they thought it would, a mega-dairy proponent was overheard saying to a CAFO operator, "You'd better hurry and get your paperwork in... just in case."  Just in case the Foster County commission decides to make their regulations more stringent?  Just in case they decide to keep CAFO's a little further from town?  Just in case they decide to require a bond from new applicants?

Question:  Is the attraction to Foster County because of the efforts of such leaders as Tom Erdmann, Mayor Frye or Commissioner Carr who helped arrange the whole mega-dairy deal (without telling the public until things were signed "on the dotted line?')  Or is it just because we have ineffective regulations which allow operators to basically move in where they want?  Why not call these "leaders" and ask them what other CAFO's are being planned... and how close will they be to Carrington?  Most likely,  they know the answers to these questions, but sadly, I doubt if they will announce any plan to the public until they think it's a "done deal."

By the way, remember:  the people who have signed petitions against the location of the proposed mega-dairy are against the LOCATION.  If the operators of large CAFO's truly care about community welfare and want to be good neighbors, then they should set up their operations further away from family residences,  family farms and the city of Carrington. 

Click here to print out a copy of the petition.

Near a Large Dairy in ID

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AS-1155
Scott Birchall, Livestock Waste Management Specialist

"One of the most important decisions when planning any livestock facility is site selection. The site for the feedlot operation must not only be suitable for housing, handling and feeding cattle, but also must ensure that surface and ground waters are protected and that the impact from odors is minimized. Whether you are planning a new facility or modifying an existing one, the following checklist may help avoid costly mistakes....

Odor
Minimizing the impact of odor on neighboring residents is a combination of:

~Recognizing the prevailing wind direction. In North Dakota, this is usually from the north west or south east (or north/south in the Red River Valley).
~Using topography to your advantage. Odor tends to "drain" down slope in the evening in summer.
~Reduce visual impact. Visual confirmation of dust is more likely to result in odor complaints. Windbreaks will also help break up odor plumes and provide stock protection.
~Providing a buffer distance to the neighbors. It is difficult to specify a particular buffer distance without taking into account the previous factors. Be aware that odors from some larger facilities have been detected 4 to 5 miles distant. Anyone planning a facility within 1 to 2 miles of neighboring dwellings will have to provide more detailed information on how they plan to minimize odor."

Read More...

(The above web site

-produced by the North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service-

is extremely informative about the precautions that should be taken regarding livestock waste management.  How does the proposed MEGA-dairy intend  to address these concerns?)

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When the wind blows across the MEGA-dairy lagoon and toward town, say good-by to outdoor family gatherings and visits on the front porch.