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Editorial Comment by Indiana CAFO Watch Group

The following editorial comment is about the story listed below which was written by Seth Slabaugh. This comment is NOT a part of the story and only reflects the views of the Indiana CAFO watch group and does not necessarily reflect the views of the author, Seth Slabaugh or thestarpress.com

Indiana CAFO watch group believes we must hold our legislators accountable for the complete lack of legislation requiring the bonding of CAFO owners. Our group has pushed for 5 years to get legislation passed that would have avoided this financial burden being placed on the taxpayers at a time when the state can least afford it. Please continue to call and email your legislators to get a bonding bill for CAFO owners passed.

Taxpayers Face $450,000 Manure Bill

Taxpayers face $405,000 manure bill

By SETH SLABAUGH • • May 9, 2009

EATON -- The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is removing 4.5 million gallons of manure from a hog farm that went out of business after being prosecuted for environmental crimes.IDEM staff assessed conditions of the lagoon and barns, and determined that immediate action was necessary to prevent the potential for a spill," said IDEM spokesman Barry Sneed.

Muncie Sow Unit LLC was scheduled to be sentenced this week for pleading guilty to recklessly, knowingly or intentionally failing to maintain at least two feet of freeboard in its 12-million gallon manure lagoon, a felony. Freeboard is the distance before the lagoon overflows.

Judi Calhoun, a deputy county prosecutor, said the sentencing of the corporation was postponed until June 3. When the corporation pleaded guilty last October, the prosecution dismissed three felony environmental charges against the defunct corporation's owner, Jacobus John Tielen, 40, formerly of Eaton.

It will cost IDEM 9 cents a gallon to have the manure trucked to the Belmont Wastewater Treatment Plant that serves Indianapolis, or $405,000 for 4.5 million gallons.

However, it will cost only 2 cents a gallon if IDEM can land apply the manure as fertilizer.

But land application might not be possible.

"IDEM will continue to bring the manure to Indianapolis until the ground is dry enough to allow land application," Sneed said. "At that point we will land apply as much as we can."

A soggy spring has made it difficult for producers to get their manure applications done, experts at Purdue University say. Allowing nutrients to run off of fields pollutes the environment and is wasteful.

Local wastewater treatment plants declined to take the manure.

"We contacted the wastewater treatment facilities in the area, and they either did not want to take the waste or the ammonia and nitrogen content was too high for them," Sneed said. "Taking it would have caused an upset in their system."

IDEM is emptying two manure pits in barns and lowering the lagoon to a safer level.

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Since 1999, Tielen has been fined more than $21,000 for spilling manure, failing to report manure spills, killing fish and other violations. In 2002, one of Tielen's ex-employees told The Star Press he was fired for blowing the whistle on one of the manure spills. Tielen, a Dutch immigrant, reportedly told the worker that American environmental inspectors were "dumb." Tielen called the worker's story ridiculous and said he was fired for lack of attendance and poor job performance.

"It is evident that IDEM was not able to provide the oversight and regulation needed to make this swine CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) in compliance," said Julie Alexander, a retired educational administrator and member of Indiana CAFO Watch. "Now, the taxpayers will again be burdened with the cost of cleaning up this swine CAFO."

The intense nature of such industrial livestock facilities raises health concerns for those living in the surrounding area, Alexander said.

The cost of the cleanup can be recovered, according to Sneed.

"The responsible party is John and Becky Moriarity," he said. "They purchased the property sometime last year. IDEM will continue to work with them to address the situation."

The couple couldn't be reached by The Star Press for comment.

IDEM is paying a contractor named Wheeling Brothers to do the cleanup.

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This article was reprinted with permission from the author, Seth Slabaugh. The link to the page on the web to add your comments is http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090509/NEWS01/905090338

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