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-

Date:     March 8, 2008

To:        Foster County Planning and Zoning Board

From:    Judith L. Keller, Retired Teacher

              Carrington Resident and Investment Property

                           Owner

              Carrington Business Owner

              Member of Carrington Citizens Committee against the

                             Location of the Van Bedaf Mega-Dairy

              Web Developer: StinkFreeCarrington.Com

Re:        Van Bedaf’s “Application for Approval of Livestock

              Waste system

Dear Members of the Board:

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.  I appreciate the fact that you have a tremendous amount of material to read and issues to investigate regarding the Van Bedafs’ "Application for Approval of Livestock Waste System."

Even though I disapprove of the involvement of some of our community leaders in trying to "push this mega-dairy down our throats." I have faith in those of you who are truly looking out for the welfare of our community... those board and commission members who have no personal agenda or potential monetary gains that involve the approval of this application... those board members who welcome community input.  I admire you greatly for the time, effort and personal commitment that you put forth in trying to resolve complex issues of this nature.

As for my background, I have been a teacher and researcher for over 35 years, and I have used those skills, along with my husband's (Ted Keller), in creating www.stinkfreecarrington.com.  To begin with, since I was concerned about the stink that surrounds mega-dairies, I focused our website on that issue.  The stink was not apparent in Carrington four years ago when my husband and I chose to move our business here, buy a home, invest in property, with the intent to settle here near our  relatives for the rest of our lives.  Then, last summer the stink issue arose in Carrington, mainly due to the feedlot which is located north of town.  With that in mind, I resolved to find out what kind of stench a mega-dairy with 1500 cows and a 20-million gallon lagoon would produce.

If you look at StinkFreeCarrington.Com, you will find links to numerous communities that are suffering due to mega-dairies (and other large CAFOs) being located so close to their homes.  Over and over you can read peoples’ complaints about the stink that permeates their homes and lives.  They feel frustrated by the decline of their property values, due to the closeness of a stinking CAFO.  What surprised me in my research was that the odor issue is minor compared to other potentially harmful byproducts of a mega-dairy.  "The Director of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, testifying before a U.S. congressional committee, documented the environmental and health risks associated with CAFOs as including contamination of air, water, soil, and foods with toxic chemicals, infectious diseases, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and E. Coli...."

The potential for water contamination is especially high, due to manure spills from lagoons and improper spreading of manure on nearby land.  A recent manure spill from a mega-dairy lagoon in Walkersville, Maryland, (the second in the month of January, 2008) has turned their drinking water brown...infesting it with harmful levels of bacteria and E. coli.  The mega-dairy owner is apologetic, but the harm is done and the community, as well as fish and streams, are suffering.  This is just one of many such problems that surround CAFOs across the United States.

What can you do, as a Planning and Zoning Board, to ward off such problems?  It is my understanding that North Dakota state law gives you (as a county commission) the authority to establish regulations that will protect our community from the risks associated with large CAFOs, such as the Van Bedaf mega-dairy.  You can be stringent about the location of these CAFOs, creating regulations that will keep them away from family homes, wells, streams, aquifers, and largely populated areas, such as cities and towns.  Your regulations can be more stringent than the State’s... and more appropriate for Foster County, since you are more highly informed about our area and the special needs and wishes of our citizens.

I know that you will take into serious consideration, the many signed petitions, letters, phone calls and pertinent information which you have received from Carrington and Foster County citizens...all objecting to the proposed location of the mega-dairy.  I’m hoping that you will refuse to grant the approval of the Van Bedafs’ permit.

Otherwise, I would like to request that you postpone your approval of the Van Bedafs’ permit until you have more stringent regulations in place that will protect Carrington and Foster County citizens from the environmental and health risks associated with such a large CAFO.

Again, thank you for your time and consideration regarding this important matter.

Click here to print out a copy of the petition.

Near a Large Dairy in ID

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.