July 2, 2008

SHEEP MANURE SPILL INVESTIGATED NEAR HARLAN
HARLAN - The DNR is investigating a manure spill at a large sheep operation near Harlan.
The spill was reported Tuesday morning and while there was not any manure flowing to the stream at the time of the DNR's inspection, there was evidence that manure solids from the operation owned by Alliance Lamb had reached an unnamed tributary of the East Branch of the West Nishnabotna River. Manure had apparently run into the nearby stream during rainfall in recent days, but action was taken by Alliance Lamb to at least temporarily prevent further flow.
During the site visit on Tuesday, the DNR did find a number of violations associated with large combination confinement and open lot operation, including:

  • Failure to report in timely manner.
  • Failure to obtain a construction permit
  • Failure to obtain an NPDES permit.
  • Failure to retain manure produced in a confinement (no concrete floors).
  • Improper stockpiling of manure (confinement and open lot).

No dead fish were observed in the tributary affected by the manure runoff. The DNR is continuing to investigate the operation and enforcement actions will likely be taken at the conclusion of the investigation.
For more information, contact Dan Olson at 712-243-1934

"While CAFOs clearly are profitable, they are only profitable because so much of the cost and damage is externalized onto the environment, neighbors and wildlife. The monitoring, supervision, clean-up, restitution, fines are not happening, thus the true cost of CAFOs never find the way onto the balance books." Talking point from the CAFO Conference.