| On December 14, the Wisconsin DNR held a permit hearing on the proposed expansion of a factory farm operation near Baldwin, Wisconsin. Just weeks earlier, the farm operator had leaked manure and other contaminants into the nearby Rush River and failed to notify the DNR of his accident. The following testimony from a local small farmer is indicative of some of the concerns of local residents. The DNR's decision on the expansion still looms. |
Dec. 14, 2000
Thank you for your time and concern in regard to this permit request. I am here to speak against the Jon-De Farms/Juli-Mart Too Farms receiving the WPDES permit. I have two points to make in regard to the hazard that such an expansion would allow. 1. Manure holding facilities (called lagoons/ponds) which Juli-Mar Too has constructed and would undoubtedly enlarge if this permit were to be granted LEAK. I will repeat - THEY LEAK. I have spoken to WI. specialist from the University and in particular, Dr. Fred Straub of the Biological Systems Engineering at UWE, Madison regarding manure lagoons (tele.# (608) 262-2757). Even with the best technology and a concrete lining there can be leakage. The proposed liner at Juli-Mar Too is earthen or clay. This is not about pumps that fail. It is about leakage. I wish to cite a study from the University of Iowa, 1999. They did an extensive study of Earthen Waste Storage Structures in their state. The report is in four parts dealing with Geology, Management and History, Seepage and Soil Core Analysis. Here are the calculations prepared from that study on Seepage by University
of Wisconsin, River Falls Mathematics Professor James Senft (715-684-5977).
In the test of 28 lagoons (out of the 439) in Iowa they found 15% LEAKED
below the seepage limit set by the Iowa DNR in 1999, 36% exceeded the limit,
and the other 49% were so close to the limit that they could not be
The leakage limit that was set in Iowa last year is 1/16 inch (or .0052 ft.) per day for a 6 foot deep pool (seepage is roughly proportional to depth and to area - and therefore to volume). So how much is going into the ground water? Professor Senft calculated the following for a 1000 dairy cow CAFO: 1000 dairy cows X 2.5 cu.feet.of manure/cow/day X 360 days = 900,000 cubic ft. of manure in a year. Therefore the average amount in the pool over the course of a year is 450,000 cubic ft. Taking the standard 6 foot depth, this is an area of 450,000/6 = 75,000square ft. The leakage limit for a day would be = 75,000 X .0052 = 390 cu. ft. per day. The leakage limit per year would be 390 = 360 = 140,140 cu. ft. per year which is just over ONE MILLION GALLONS. I wish to repeat, ONE MILLION GALLONS, from 1/16 of an inch.
2. Ground water: why should we be concerned? About 15 years ago the WIsconsin, Dept. of Natural Resources, did a
study of the areas of WI most vulnearable to ground water contamination.
These maps are kept on file at the EPA office in Chicago. They are
available from Bill Ryan ,
Groundwater Specialist with the EPA
This area of Western Wisconsin at Baldwin, on the Rush River and indeed
throughout much of St. Croix County and all of Pierce County shows very,very
high possibility of ground water contamination. We are living on
fractured limestone in this region known as karst which allows pollutants
to LEAK into the aquifer that we drink from. I will provide you with
a map
I request again that you deny ANY permits for expansion to the Jon-De/Juli-Mar Too Farm of Baldwin, WI. Sincerely, Julie Kenefick |