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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
Photo by
Sam Yu -
Vicki Poole holds a glass of
water on Tuesday afternoon that she got out of a home faucet
last Thursday. The Poole family lives on Glade Road near
Walkersville.
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
~~~
"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-
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Links to Informative Web Sites about
Thief River Falls and the Excel
Mega-Dairy
[Please click on the blue link at the
beginning of each excerpt to peruse the entire web site.]
Permit Trouble for Excel Dairy
Written by David Hill for Northern Watch, Thief River Falls, MN -
March- 2009
The Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency has announced its intent to revoke and reissue a
one-year permit for Excel Dairy, which is located near Thief River
Falls.
Excel Dairy has been operating a dairy farm permitted to house 1,544
animal units north of Thief River Falls just inside Marshall County.
Recently, the dairy removed all of its animals. At that time, Rick
Millner, CEO of Prairie Ridge Management, which operates Excel
Dairy, said the reason the cattle were removed dates back to a
letter that was sent to Judge Jeffrey Remick. In that letter, their
attorney detailed an offer to remove all cows by April 15, and
remove manure from storage basins two and three no later than July
1. The attorney also proposed to submit a permit amendment
application that would allow the Dairy to maintain a natural crust
on basin one, and install an impermeable cover on basin two, install
a permeable cover on basin three; relocate the manure transfer pipe;
make other management improvements which the dairy had previously
proposed to the MPCA; and increase its herd by approximately 300
cows to 2,000 animal units.
Excel Dairy is the subject of criminal and civil court cases because
of alleged past violations of agreements and state regulations.
Feedlot Polluter Excel Dairy, MPCA "Disappoint" Judge; Neighbors
Worried About Health, Safety - 01/13/2009 - 09:37 - Ken Bradley, CWA
State Director
THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN— Judge Remick issued another interim order in
part blaming the State of Minnesota for construction delays that he
believes led to a series of permit violations by Excel Dairy,
large-scale milking operation with a record of pollution permit
violations.
Excel Dairy’s record is one of serial non-compliance. The Minnesota
Attorney General’s office filed suit with the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA) on June 20 asking the court to force Excel to
reduce emissions. Marshall County has also filed suit citing a
public nuisance and asking the court to force compliance. The
Federal EPA has also served the dairy operation with violations.
Julie Jansen, Clean Water Action Rural Community Organizer, who has
been helping the neighbors seek redress, agrees. “The data are over
whelming. I have never seen emissions this bad on any hydrogen
sulfide pollution source. This is literally the worst of the worst,
in my experience.” Over 400 violations are on record starting May
2008.
Neighbors want Excel to quit pointing fingers and fix the problem
permanently or shut down permanently. “We can not live like this any
more, we just want our homes and health back,” says neighbor Chad
Bottom.
Hydrogen sulfide, a very toxic gas has been found in the air that
can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea,
coughing, shortness of breath, vomiting and other symptoms.
Months later, the neighbors continue to wait for immediate relief.
Statement Before the House Energy and Commerce
Committee, Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials
ATSDR’s Public Health Activities on Concentrated Animal Feeding
Operations (CAFOs)
Statement of Mark D. Johnson, Ph.D., DABT
At CAFOs where
ATSDR has conducted assessments, irritant contaminants such as
hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and reduced sulfides (known as mercaptans)
have been detected in air emissions. In a recent assessment at a
CAFO facility in southwest Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of
Health and ATSDR concluded that exposure to hydrogen sulfide at the
site was a public health hazard. Among the chemicals that are
emitted from the storage, handling, and decomposition of animal
wastes, hydrogen sulfide is of great concern for potential
exposure.3 This is due to the volume of hydrogen sulfide emissions
from some CAFOs, the physical properties of hydrogen sulfide, and
the toxins associated with hydrogen sulfide exposure.
In the case of Excel Dairy, after receiving reports of
health concerns from local residents, ATSDR and the state of
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency conducted air sampling and found
that levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air exceeded the ATSDR acute
MRLs and the Minnesota Air Quality Standards. ATSDR communicated
recommendations to the state, to USEPA, and to Excel Dairy owners to
reduce exposures to hydrogen sulfide and to monitor the
effectiveness of measures taken to reduce emissions.
Progressive Dairy Publishing
Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:23 pm
Northwest Minnesota feedlot declared public
health hazard
Minnesota health officials say a large feedlot near Thief
River Falls has been declared a public health hazard.
Families living near Excel Dairy have complained of headaches,
nausea, breathing problems and sore throats from foul-smelling
emissions from manure pits that hold the waste of the dairy’s 1,525
cows.
The announcement bolsters state and federal legal efforts to force
the dairy to reduce the odors.
Minnesota Department of Health toxicologist Rita Messing says,
“There needs to be immediate measures taken to stop these
emissions.”
County commission meets about Fate of of Thief River dairy - Grand
Forks Herald | October 8, 2008 - Stephen J. Lee - Oct. 8, 2008
(McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex)
An official from the Minnesota
Department of Health explained to the Marshall County Commission in
Warren, Minn., on Tuesday its finding this summer that the Excel
Dairy farm north of Thief River Falls is a public health hazard. The
health department's action is another piece of a mosaic of federal,
state and local government actions seeking to stop the farm's stink,
which has driven some nearby residents from their homes. ... A state
health department official this summer at one point advised nearby
residents to evacuate their homes temporarily because the hydrogen
sulfide levels coming from the dairy farm's manure lagoons were so
high as to be hazardous to their health. The Excel Dairy in the
south central part of the county, only six miles north of Thief
River Falls, has 1,500 cows and a huge odor problem, according to
nearby residents and county officials. Marshall County has filed two
public nuisance complaints and a civil abatement complaint in state
district court, seeking an injunction to force the dairy farm to
cover its lagoon cells, said Williams.
Northern Watch - Thief River Falls
Dairy Dozen Enters Plea of Not Guilty - by Scott DeCamp
The Dairy Dozen was formally charged with violating the state’s
nuisance laws by the Marshall County Attorney’s Office last week.
Marshall County Attorney Mike Williams announced during the June 3
meeting of the Marshall County Board of Commissioners that he was
filing a misdemeanor public nuisance charge.
The misdemeanor nuisance charge carries a maximum penalty of 90 days
in jail or a $1,000 fine. Williams said during the meeting that he
is prepared to issue additional charges if odor problems continue.
Area residents evacuate
At least five rural Thief River Falls families evacuated their homes
between Thursday, June 5 and Monday, June 9 due to health concerns
over dangerously high levels of hydrogen sulfide and an overpowering
odor which are being emitted from Excel Dairy’s manure management
lagoons. Last week, Jeff and Lesley Brouse decided to leave the home
they have owned for more than 12 years. For the past week, the
couple and their two children have stayed with Jeff’s parents. ...
The residents can’t even head indoors to get away from the odor and
its associated health risks. Four indoor tests were taken inside the
homes of Jeff and Lesley Brouse and Paul and Mona Loe between June 3
and June 8. Hydrogen sulfide concentrations exceeded the legal limit
18 times in 54 readings. Even when concentrations dropped below 30
parts per billion, they typically remained above 20 parts per
billion.
Brouse said he can’t understand why the the state health department
is allowing the barn to continue its operation after it encouraged
the area’s residents to move out of their homes.
Thief River Falls feedlot declared public health hazard
By TOM MEERSMAN, Star Tribune
Last update: October 8, 2008 - 12:32 AM
The announcement by state health officials about the Excel Dairy
land aids efforts to reduce the odors. For the first time, a large
feedlot in Minnesota has been declared a public health hazard, state
health officials said Tuesday. Excel Dairy, just north of Thief
River Falls, has violated state air quality standards hundreds of
times during the past three months and caused several nearby
families to leave their homes repeatedly since May.The families have
complained of headaches, nausea, breathing problems and sore throats
from foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide emissions from huge manure pits
that hold the waste of the dairy's 1,525 cows.
Excel Dairy still below air quality standards
by Tom Robertson, Minnesota Public Radio
October 7, 2008
Warren, Minn. — State toxicologist Rita Messing briefed Marshall
County commissioners Tuesday about a preliminary report on a series
of air quality tests at Excel Dairy.
The data shows that people living near the farm have been repeatedly
exposed to elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide gas. Messing said the
exposure is causing short-term health effects.
State law says hydrogen sulfide levels are supposed to be below 30
parts per billion outside the diary farm's property line. But
Messing said levels as high as 480 parts per billion were recorded
at nearby homes.
"That's a very high amount of hydrogen sulfide at somebody's house.
Not at the fence line of the facility, but at somebody's house. And
people need to make a judgement themselves whether they can stay or
whether they should go. But at those levels, I believe that most
people will suffer health effects," Messing said.
County commission meets about fate of of Thief River dairy - Grand
Forks Herald | October 8, 2008 - Stephen J. Lee
A state health department official this summer at one point
advised nearby residents to evacuate their homes temporarily because
the hydrogen sulfide levels coming from the dairy farm's manure
lagoons were so high as to be hazardous to their health.
The Excel Dairy in the south central part of the county, only six
miles north of Thief River Falls, has 1,500 cows and a huge odor
problem, according to nearby residents and county officials.
"It's terrible," said Vonasek, of the odors he encountered on his
visit to the farm, which is owned by Dairy Dozen, of Veblen, S.D.,
and managed by Prairie Ridge, also of South Dakota. Dairy Dozen,
which includes several partners in Sargent County, N.D., owns
several large dairy operations in Minnesota and South Dakota. Rick
Millner, chief executive of Prairie Ridge Management in South
Dakota, is listed on a Web site giving federal information about
farm ownership as owning the biggest single part of Dairy Dozen.
Excel Dairy still violating air quality
by Tom Robertson, Minnesota Public Radio
July 23, 2008
State officials say a dairy farm near Thief River Falls in
northern Minnesota, continues to emit dangerous levels of hydrogen
sulfide. Last month, the state advised neighbors of Excel Dairy to
evacuate their homes because of the emissions. Since then, there
have been dozens more air quality violations. ... Excel already
faces a state lawsuit. Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
has stepped in and put the owners of the dairy farm on notice.
MN Attorney General/MPCA sue Excel Dairy
Written by Scott DCamp - Jun 24, 2008 at 10:36 AM
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency filed a lawsuit against Excel Dairy Friday (June 20).
... The lawsuit requests the court to issue orders: declaring the
Excel Dairy feedlot a public nuisance; forbidding the feedlot from
violating state air standards and creating a public nuisance;
requiring the feedlot to immediately comply with its permits by
establishing and maintaining a straw cover and ceasing to aerate the
manure basin; and the dairy must pay an appropriate civil penalty.
The complaint states that Excel Dairy violated air quality
standards; it violated its state-issued permits; it failed to report
excessive air emissions; it failed to minimize emissions or abate
air pollution and its operation is a public nuisance.
Swanson said in an interview with The Times that residents being
driven from their homes is wrong. They have a right to enjoy their
property and Excel Dairy has in many ways taken that right away, she
added.
“We are a state that is built on privacy,” Swanson said. “Neighbors
shouldn’t be driven from their homes because a feedlot fails to
comply with basic regulations. This feedlot has been given a lot of
operating room from my viewpoint. Enough is enough.”
The attorney general and the MPCA state that Excel Dairy has
repeatedly violated Minnesota’s air quality standards for hydrogen
sulfide emissions, which threatens the health of the dairy’s
neighbors.
Office of the
Attorney General Lori Swanson Press Release - Friday, June 20, 2008
ATTORNEY
GENERAL LORI SWANSON AND MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY JOINTLY
SUE FEEDLOT TO ABATE PUBLIC NUISANCE AND FOR VIOLATIONS OF
MINNESOTA’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LAWS
Minnesota Attorney General Lori
Swanson and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency today jointly
filed a lawsuit in Marshall County District Court against Excel
Dairy, which operates a large dairy feedlot near Thief River Falls.
The lawsuit seeks to have the dairy immediately comply with
applicable environmental protection laws, comply with the terms of
its permits, and to abate its activities which constitute a public
nuisance.
Excel Dairy has repeatedly violated Minnesota’s air
quality standards for hydrogen sulfide, applicable state
environmental protection laws, and its feedlot operating permits.
Excel Dairy’s operations have produced obnoxious odors that threaten
the health of its neighbors and which have compelled its neighbors
to evacuate their homes. Hydrogen sulfide can cause headaches,
nausea, vomiting and weakness.
Dairy odors drive out families, but attract lawsuit
By TOM MEERSMAN, Star Tribune
Last update: June 20, 2008 - 11:02 PM
State officials filed suit against Excel Dairy just north of Thief
River Falls, charging that it has failed to abide by a range of
environmental laws and operating permits. A large dairy in
northwestern Minnesota with odors severe enough to drive nearby
residents from their homes last week now faces legal problems. State
Attorney General Lori Swanson and the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency (MPCA) jointly sued Excel Dairy on Friday, charging that the
1,500-cow operation just north of Thief River Falls has repeatedly
violated air quality standards, environmental protection laws and
feedlot operating permits.
Stunk out of house and home near a dairy feedlot
By TOM MEERSMAN, Star Tribune
Last update: June 20, 2008 - 9:34 AM
Minnesota health officials took the unprecedented step of
advising several families to evacuate their homes Sunday night after
fumes from a large dairy feedlot near Thief River Falls reached
unhealthy levels. People who live near Excel Dairy reported
headaches, nausea and weakness, and say they have measured levels of
foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide in recent days more than 200 times
higher than what state air quality standards allow.
... Reetz said the parent company also owns New Horizon Dairy in
west-central Minnesota. The MPCA has also received citizen
complaints about odor from that feedlot, he said, and is monitoring
the air near its location in southeastern Grant County. Last year,
the state fined New Horizon $17,400 for applying too much manure on
fields and for other waste-handling problems.
Madville Times
CAFO Drives Neighbors from Homes
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
My radical environmentalist friends proclaim a shocking truth
this morning: cow poop really does stink. A confined animal feed
operation (CAFO) near Thief River Falls, MN, stinks so bad that the
Minnesota Department of Health is recommending neighbors leave their
homes, not just for convenience, but for their health. ...Meersman
reports that Excel Dairy is owned by Dairy Dozen of Veblen, SD.
Dairy Dozen had "regulatory problems" at Excel Dairy last year and
was fined $17,400 for not being able to keep its poop in a group at
its New Horizon Dairy in Hoffman, MN.
The Dairy Dozen are also tied in with Prairie Ridge Management
Company, the same outfit building the 7,100-head "Veblen East" CAFO
up in Marhsall County.* Prairie Ridge Management also lobbied the
South Dakota State Legislature to exempt big dairies from the Family
Farm Act.
Prairie Ridge Management CEO Rick Millner has expressed a vision of
more than quadrupling the number of cows in South Dakota. But many
South Dakotans will he drive from their homes to realize that
vision? And how much environmental damage will we let corporate
farms wreak before we realize industrial agriculture is not a
healthy way to raise food for people?
Thief River Falls, Minn. / Feedlot's smell spurs neighbors to flee
Cheri Moore - Topix.com
Barrett, MN Jun 11, 2008
I understand where these people are coming from. I live
across from one of the other farms owned by these people and I also
deal with the odors given off by their barns. Today is a good
example it is cold and raining outside so all of our windows are
shut up tight but the smell is still very strong inside our house.
We have a farm also and we have a hog finishing barn on our land and
cows and goats in our yard but none of these smells compare to the
dairy's smell. And I think that maybe the CEO of these farms has no
smelling abilities because he has also said to us he has stood on
the farm and hasn't smelled a thing. And I also don't believe there
is any one that has said they dont smell anything unless it was a
day the wind was blowing against their backs because there is no
other way to escape this odor. All of the neighbors here say the
same thing we are not able to plan any outdoor events at all any
more because you can not enjoy the outdoors in our yard anymore, so
picnics and camping out or even trying to have your windows open to
air out your house are not an option anymore.
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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?)
~~~
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.
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