Hudson is in Rep. Smith's own district. Please write him or your own Representative about this. --J. Kauffman
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- Subject: HR1138
- From: Janet Kauffman <eng_kauffman@online.emich.edu>
- Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 13:21:27 -0500
Rep. Smith: It is shocking to think you believe water quality could be protected by proposing an amendment that would violate the Clean Water Act, as well as Michigan's P.A. 451. Your amendment requires no permits of Confined Animal Feeding Operations if the state implements a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan. As you know, no permits are required in Michigan now, and we have had 5 serious illegal discharges from these facilities in our area within the last year. (see list below, taken from DEQ documents). CNMP "implementation" would be no different from what we have now. Our streams and lakes would be at risk, as they are now. Please reconsider, and --for the sake of water quality, the protection of invaluable water resources -- support enforcement of the Clean Water Act and Michgian's P.A. 451. Sincerely, Janet Kauffman 14671 W. Cadmus Road Hudson, MI 49247 Illegal Discharges from Confined Animal Feed Operations Hudson Area, 2000-2001 (Info from DEQ files) The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality sent Notice Letters to these 5 dairies citing illegal discharge into the waters of the state, a violation of the Clean Water Act and Michigan’s law, P.A. 451. They were ordered to stop the discharges, but none of the CAFOs were fined or penalized in any way. February, 2000 – New Flevo Farms on Forrister Road discharges 20,000 lbs. of milk into county drain; contaminates Wallace and Hazen Creek. March, 2000 – Hartland Farms on Hughes Highway discharges 400,000 gal. of manure waste into county drain; DEQ reports approx. 12 million gal. of contaminated water will reach Lake Hudson. September, 2000 – Bruinsma Farms on Mulberry Road discharges silage leachate and waste runoff through tile, onto property of Morenci Sportsmen’s Club and into Silver Creek. February, 2001 – Stoutcrest Farms on Plank Road discharges manure after application to frozen ground, with runoff into Hazen Creek. February, 2001 – Jelsma Farms on Camden Road spray-irrigates manure onto hedgerow, trees, and frozen ground; manure flows into Bennett Drain. DEQ water samples show e.coli counts of 130,000/100 ml at US-127. This discharge is ongoing (as of March 28, 2001).
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