Feedlot's neighbors evacuate after officials recommend it

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Feedlot's neighbors evacuate after officials recommend itMonday, June 16, 2008Feedlot's neighbors evacuate after officials recommend itMonday, June 16, 2008THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. (AP) -- A large dairy feedlot near Thief River Falls has gotten so smelly that state health officials recently advised people nearby to evacuate.The hydrogen sulfide fumes have been at high levels at Excel Dairy, and people living nearby have complained of headaches, nausea and weakness.At least three families evacuated Sunday night with more leaving Monday. About 40 people live within a mile of the dairy, which has 1,500 cows.Jeff Brouse, who lives near the dairy in northwestern Minnesota, says he left with his two children on Thursday. He's concerned the fumes could cause brain damage."It's so strong and so sour and so potent that it takes your breath right away," Brouse said. "You may not smell it at 6

p.m., and then the wind will change and all of a sudden at 9 or 10 it's like a wall of stench that rolls right through the house."Brouse said the manure pits at Excel Dairy have been giving the neighbors headaches -- literally -- since the beginning."It's so nauseous we've had neighbors throw up in their driveways," Brouse said.The farm's permit shows that it isn't allowed to put out 30 parts-per-billion of the rotten-egg smell past its property line. Neighbors have taken air measurements in recent days that they say are more than 200 times higher than what state air quality standards allow.Rick Millner, CEO of Prairie Ridge Management Company of Veblen, S.D., which manages the Excel operation, said the company had talked to the dairy's neighbors through April and asked about the smell. "The reply was, we don't even know you're there," Millner said Tuesday.Millner said the recent complaints

about the smell may be because the dairy is stirring up a manure pit to determine if it meets specifications (the company believes it does). He said Excel Dairy does not believe it has exceeded its air quality permit and is taking steps to minimize the smell.When notified on Sunday of the high levels hydrogen sulfide that people bordering the dairy were recording on hand-held meters, Minnesota Department of Health toxicologist Rita Messing advised people to leave their homes if they could do so.Exposure to the fumes at low levels can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, or throat. It may also cause difficulty in breathing for people with asthma.State air quality rules allow no more than 30 parts per billion as a half-hour average, no more than twice during a five-day period.Although the citizen-reported values of 6,800 parts per billion have not been validated, Messing said, "the point is the levels

that are being measured here are really much higher than what we've seen from other feedlots and other sources like beet sugar plants and paper mills."Gaylen Reetz, director of the regional division for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, said the strong odors may be caused by work that Excel is required to do because of other regulatory problems last year. As part of an agreement with the state, the dairy must empty one large manure basin, spread the liquid manure, and remove sludge at the bottom so that the basin can be relined.The dairy is also proposing to add another 500 cows, Reetz said.State pollution control engineers met Monday to determine whether there are any immediate ways to reduce the odors at Excel Dairy. A different MPCA group met to discuss whether the company had violated any air quality rules. While the concentrations were far above state standards, Minnesota also allows exemptions

from those rules in some cases when manure basins are being agitated and pumped. http://pets.Fortheanimals7/join http://www.myspace.com/fortheanimals7

[Guest guest]

I don't know if the dairy near my parents' house is that bad, but

some days I wonder. At least I'll be moving out of here soon!

 

, Shannon Morgan

<fortheanmls wrote:

>

>Feedlot's neighbors evacuate after officials recommend it

>

> Monday, June 16, 2008

>

> THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. (AP) -- A large dairy feedlot near Thief

River

> Falls has gotten so smelly that state health officials recently

advised

> people nearby to evacuate.

>

> The hydrogen sulfide fumes have been at high levels at Excel Dairy,

and

> people living nearby have complained of headaches, nausea and

weakness.

>

> At least three families evacuated Sunday night with more leaving

Monday.

> About 40 people live within a mile of the dairy, which has 1,500

cows.

>

> Jeff Brouse, who lives near the dairy in northwestern Minnesota,

says he

> left with his two children on Thursday. He's concerned the fumes

could

> cause brain damage.

>

> " It's so strong and so sour and so potent that it takes your breath

> right away, " Brouse said. " You may not smell it at 6 p.m., and then

the

> wind will change and all of a sudden at 9 or 10 it's like a wall of

> stench that rolls right through the house. "

>

> Brouse said the manure pits at Excel Dairy have been giving the

> neighbors headaches -- literally -- since the beginning.

>

> " It's so nauseous we've had neighbors throw up in their driveways, "

> Brouse said.

>

> The farm's permit shows that it isn't allowed to put out 30

> parts-per-billion of the rotten-egg smell past its property line.

> Neighbors have taken air measurements in recent days that they say

are

> more than 200 times higher than what state air quality standards

allow.

>

> Rick Millner, CEO of Prairie Ridge Management Company of Veblen,

S.D.,

> which manages the Excel operation, said the company had talked to

the

> dairy's neighbors through April and asked about the smell. " The

reply

> was, we don't even know you're there, " Millner said Tuesday.

>

> Millner said the recent complaints about the smell may be because

the

> dairy is stirring up a manure pit to determine if it meets

> specifications (the company believes it does). He said Excel Dairy

does

> not believe it has exceeded its air quality permit and is taking

steps

> to minimize the smell.

>

> When notified on Sunday of the high levels hydrogen sulfide that

people

> bordering the dairy were recording on hand-held meters, Minnesota

> Department of Health toxicologist Rita Messing advised people to

leave

> their homes if they could do so.

>

> Exposure to the fumes at low levels can cause irritation to the

eyes,

> nose, or throat. It may also cause difficulty in breathing for

people

> with asthma.

>

> State air quality rules allow no more than 30 parts per billion as

a

> half-hour average, no more than twice during a five-day period.

>

> Although the citizen-reported values of 6,800 parts per billion

have not

> been validated, Messing said, " the point is the levels that are

being

> measured here are really much higher than what we've seen from

other

> feedlots and other sources like beet sugar plants and paper mills. "

>

> Gaylen Reetz, director of the regional division for the Minnesota

> Pollution Control Agency, said the strong odors may be caused by

work

> that Excel is required to do because of other regulatory problems

last

> year. As part of an agreement with the state, the dairy must empty

one

> large manure basin, spread the liquid manure, and remove sludge at

the

> bottom so that the basin can be relined.

>

> The dairy is also proposing to add another 500 cows, Reetz said.

>

> State pollution control engineers met Monday to determine whether

there

> are any immediate ways to reduce the odors at Excel Dairy. A

different

> MPCA group met to discuss whether the company had violated any air

> quality rules. While the concentrations were far above state

standards,

> Minnesota also allows exemptions from those rules in some cases

when

> manure basins are being agitated and pumped.