E-M:/ And the stench goes on, and gets worse

Below is a copy of the reports from ECCSCM (http://www.nocafos.org/stench.htm) regarding the air contamination and apparent health impacts from spreading of bottom wastes from the industrial livestock operations in Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties. Again, it appears that little is being done to address these problems -- DEQ and MDA are still not clear on who has authority or responsibility to enforce odor violations and so it is often many days before any investigation is done, if one is done at all. With other recent problems (an Oct 10 listed on the website) by the time there was investigation by MDA the problem had supposedly been addressed by the waste being incorporated, but it is not entirely clear if the officials were looking at the same sites because the residents said the problems continued. Many of the fields in this area are getting multiple layers of waste spread, up to 7 times on one field, and last weekend when I was there we watched one “honey wagon” parked in a field just dumping its waste in the same spot without any spreading.

This is the time of year when all CAFOs around the state are beginning to empty their lagoons, dredging the fermented urine and feces out of the bottom of the cesspool and spreading the thick, disgusting ooze onto the ground -- far too often without incorporating it. We keep hearing about how methane digesters will “fix” problems with odor from CAFOs. It isn’t methane that is the worst problem, it is a combination of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, particulate matter and possibly more, all of which can and do make people quite ill. Imagine being invaded in your own home by a stench that makes you faint and nauseous -- imagine trying to sleep or cook or eat food. More that five years on with this situation the finger pointing continues, but the enforcement is even less than in the past. Perhaps there is an assumption that these folks will just give up and go away, just like the CAFO operators want.

Anne Woiwode

Oct 27 - Residents along US-127 and Camden Rds. report incapacitating, nauseating feculent stench all day long from heavy spreading of thickly applied, unincorporated liquid manure from bottom of Mericam lagoon. Wind blowing out of the northwest, emissions engulfing a residence immediately south of facility. Verified by volunteer RN who experienced nausea and light-headedness after standing outside of car on road right-of-way for 5 minutes while writing observations. Nausea persisted for about 40 minutes after removal from scene. Another passenger witnessing spreading began to experience hoarseness. DEQ notified and air monitoring requested. No response to request as of 4:30 pm. Elsewhere, CAFO emissions from Bakerlads spreading east of Henning Hwy south side of Beecher. Stench on Henning Hwy. Vreba-Hoff stench alert east side of Lickley Rd. south of Squawfield.

Oct 22 - continuing stench along M-156 and within Morenci city limits.

Oct 20 - strong emissions along M-156 north of Morenci from State Line Farms.

Oct 19 - Stench all day from Vreba-Hoff on Zimmerman Rd, Lime Lake, numerous residents affected.
Hartland Farms and New Flevo spreading, emissions at 3 locations - Forrester Rd and Hawkins, Bates and Forrester, Henning Hwy. Bakerlads draglining stench on Cadmus Rd.
Oct 13 - stench reported in Pittsford Twp several miles northwest of Vreba-Hoff.

Oct 12-14 - emissions from State Line Farms facility and Bruinsma liquid manure-spraying, stench reported along M-156 north of Morenci and also within the City of Morenci, "a gagging smell at times that really makes breathing uncomfortable

Anne Woiwode, State Director

Sierra Club Mackinac (Michigan) Chapter

109 E. Grand River Avenue, Lansing, MI 48906

517-484-2372 fax 517-484-3108

Enjoy, Explore and Protect - www.michigan.sierraclub.org

"We know what to do. We have everything we need save the political will - which is, after all, a renewable resource. This is the time. This our moral moment and [I am confident] we will rise to the occasion." Former Vice President Albert Gore, at the Sierra Club Summit, September 2005