Stench/Emission Alerts!
2015 back to 2012 (2011 and earlier here) 

Air emisions from liquid wastes contain hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, particulate matter, Volatile Organic Compounds, and other pollutants. If you notice CAFO air pollution--stench, strong odors that cause headaches, nausea, sore throat -- call MDARD Right to Farm: 1-877-632-1783 and notify DEQ Air Division: 517-780-7481. If after hours or extremely serious, call the 24-hr PEAS (Pollution Emergency) Hotline: 1-800-292-4706. Also, please use this form to report your information to us. We will add your observations anonymously to these Stench Alerts, an archive for agencies to see the impact on our communities.

2015

Dec 9 - Hudson Dairy CAFO is out in force, draglining liquid manure and also spreading solids, at two sites - both very close to the City of Hudson wellhead protection area. Multiple tanker trucks are hauling liquid manure to a draglining operation set up (for the second time this fall) along M-34 west of the City of Hudson, between Nye Rd and Elm Rd. Solids are being heaped and spread along US-127 just north of the City of Hudson.

City of Hudson wellhead protection area - from Nye Rd/Elm Rd area and southeast, crossing near intersection of M-34 and US-127 at Hudson.


12-9-15 - Hudson Dairy tankers at the liquid manure dumpbox along M-34 between Nye and Elm Rds.

12-9-15 - Hudson Dairy dumping and spreading solids along US-127 just north of Hudson.

Dec 8 - New Flevo CAFO is applying liquid manure on Demings Lake Rd, west of Furman in Dover Twp.

12-8-15 - New Flevo Dairy tanker pumping liquid manure to field equipment for application, Demings Lake Rd.

Dec 7 - Milk Source's Hudson Dairy CAFO is draglining on a hayfield, ponded area in the foreground, east of the dumpbox on Packard Road Rd, west of Dillon Hwy.


12-7-15 - Hudson Dairy draglining on a hayfield, Packard Rd west of Dillon Hwy.

Dec 4-6 - Several reports of stench over the weekend from a draglining operation at M-34 and Seneca Hwy. The draglining at that location was shut down on Sunday afternoon Dec 6 and the dumpbox was moved to Packard Rd west of Dillon Hwy. The Packard Rd field is listed on both Medina Dairy and Hudson Dairy 2015 CNMPs (Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans - field #800-027C on their manure maps - see snips from 2015 CNMP updates below) for manure application.

12-6-15 - green dumpbox and dragline operation at M-34 and Seneca Hwy.

12-6-15 - same green dumpbox hauled to Packard Rd, field #800-027C, listed for manure application in BOTH Medina Dairy and Hudson Dairy field maps.

from Medina Dairy and Hudson Dairy 2015 CNMP updates: manure maps of Packard Rd fields:
Medina Dairy on left (p.48, fields on Packard circled in red); on right, Hudson Dairy, same fields (p.59).

Nov 23 - CAFOs spreading on snow-covered ground - Terrehaven CAFO and Hartland Farms CAFO are hauling and spreading solids on snow-covered ground, one of the highest risk practices. All it takes is sun or thaw to send contaminated meltwater into drains and tiles and streams. With Lake Erie at risk, Ohio has banned manure application on snow-covered ground.

11-23-15 - Terrehaven CAFO manure application on snow, on Forrister Rd.

Nov 18 - tankers from Milk Source's Medina Dairy CAFO are hauling in the rain to a draglining operation on Maple Grove Ave, just north of the City of Hudson. The field is adjacent to Bean Creek on the west.

11-18-15 - manure tanker from Medina Dairy at the dumpbox on Maple Grove Ave.

11-18-15 - (left) tanker leaving dumpbox at manure application field on Maple Grove Ave; (right) draglining, with Bean Creek downslope at far tree line.

Nov 12 - Milk Source's Hudson Dairy draglining in the rain, tankers running into the evening, east of Kelso Rd, through the dragline from the dumpbox on M-34, west of the City of Hudson. Neighbor reports, "major stench alert to people west of the spreading, ferocious wind spreading the emissions."

11-12-15 - Hudson Dairy manure tankers hauling to the dumpbox along M-34, 6:34 p.m., in the rain.


11-12-15 - Hudson Dairy draglining in the rain, near Kelso Rd, through dragline hose from dumpbox on M-34.

Nov 11, Veteran's Day - "Awful strong" emissions east of Hudson - Winds are picking up, neighbors in several directions are breathing the bad air. Milk Source's Medina Dairy tankers are hauling load after load of liquid waste to a dumpbox on Cadmus Rd and Munson Hwy, acoss from Butch's Tavern. Not far away, on Dowling Hwy near M-34, Hartland Farms CAFO is spraying "awful strong" liquid manure – "...sends you inside."

11-11-15 - Tankers lined up at the Medina Dairy CAFO dumpbox on Cadmus Rd.

11-11-15 - Medina Dairy CAFO field at Cadmus and Munson Hwy is soaked.

Nov 10 - "As bad as Adrian's stink*" - "Nobody should be breathing this," reports a passer-by, one of several reports about the ferocious stench from Hudson Dairy CAFO draglining operation at M-34 and Waldron Rd. "More stench and emissions from Milk Source on Maxson's fields. Corporate CAFOs making the community pay on Veterans Day for their profit." This is a huge field; 4-5 tankers are hauling non-stop. No crop, no crop to come for months.
*See the Daily Telegram article today on yesterday's Adrian Twp meeting, and residents' concerns about the month-long stink from "biosolids fertilizer pellets" applied on farm fields. The manufacturer of this product told Adrian residents "the odor most likely will not entirely go away. For the farmer, he said the fertilizer is cost effective and yields a higher level of crops." Welcome to the world of industrial agriculture, where what's good for the farmer may not be at all good for the neighbor. Whose lives matter?

11-10-15 - A glimpse of sun, a BLAST of stench from this Hudson Dairy CAFO draglining at Waldron Rd and M-34.

11-10-15 - Tanker pumping into Hudson Dairy dumpbox along M-34 west of Hudson. "Nobody should be breathing this."

Nov 9 - Medina Dairy CAFO dragline and a dumpbox set up late in the day on Cadmus Rd, just east of the City of Hudson. Draglining into the evening, no crop, and no crop to come for months. Nov. 10 - rain overnight, no action here; maybe all the tankers are aross town, hauling for Milk Source's other CAFO, Hudson Dairy.

11-10-15 - day after Medina Dairy draglining began, rutted field along Cadmus Rd. All's quiet so far today, Nov 10, after rain overnight.

11-10-15 - Medina Dairy field on Cadmus Rd near Munson Hwy, ready-to-go, no tankers in sight yet today.

Outrageous stench widespread around the City of Adrian and various field locations. The Adrian Daily Telegram asked on Facebook yesterday, "We're looking for some help with a story. We've received some reports of a strong, manure/sewage odor around the north side of Adrian and northwest and west of town, especially in the morning for the past few days."
The Telegram got 400+ Facebook replies, including:
"... on Valley Rd just east of Bent Oak. They put it on the fields all around us. It's disgusting it should be banned."
"I thought it smelled like someone dropped a bomb of aspagras pee on adrian. it was gag worthy just being outside."
"...all of us would like to know EXACTLY what this stuff is. it smells so bad. and the smell lingers for a long time. Its a cross smell between something dead and brussel sprouts. omg you can hardly breathe."
"I live north of Morenci. A week ago when the wind was strong from the east we could smell it strong. I think it is the liquid manure they spray on the fields."
"I live on Wolf Creek Highway between Pentecost and Tipton I was following a tractor pulling a trailer that had the most disturbing smell I've ever smelled in my life a mile before I approached the trailer and a mile before it became coming in my vehicle after I passed the vehicle I could not get the smell out of my vehicle for probably four miles with the windows down it was a mix of manure and something dead it ...was burnt in my nose for an hour probably."
"It's probably manure. They do it every year especially along Tipton. I won't even drive near there this time of year. And with the warm, sunny weather...well there you go."

More details on the horrible Adrian stench today, Nov 5, and photos to ECCSCM of one of the many sites mentioned in Telegram posts: "Where did this come from?! Application was occurring on the north side of Valley Rd., between Bent Oak and Carson Hwys. Same stench south of Terrehaven on Hunt Rd., spreading southwest towards Pfister and southeast to Lenawee Hills and down to Forrister, seemed like it was following the path of Wolf Creek all the way to Lake Adrian."

11-5-15 - tanker, trucks, tractor at Valley Rd and Bent Oak, doing field application of...what? Let's hope the Telegram finds out.

11-5-15 - same location, Valley Rd & Bent Oak, black heap of ?, loading, unloading, hauling, spreading, "stench...like rotting bodies."

Also 11-5-15, stench at Townline and Burton Rd, this application:


11-4-15 - Weirdly warm weather - and liquid and solid CAFO waste is being sprayed, draglined, and spread on many fields - alll with NO GROWING CROP. Morenci resident reports Raymond & Stutzman tankers are hauling from both State Line CAFO and Legend CAFO on M-156 through Morenci today - "from 7:35 through 9:46 a.m. at least 14 tankers went through." Resident also reports "tankers coming and going from Legend yesterday; didn't quit until after 6 p.m. last night." Hartland Farms is spreading solids on Dowling Hwy field; Medina Dairy CAFO continues draglining along Elm Rd south of Beecher Rd.

11-3-15 - Morenci resident reports manure tankers traveling south on M-156 through Morenci and west on Main St, going so fast "it makes the house shake." Elsewhere, Milk Source's Hudson Dairy is still hauling CAFO waste to the dumpbox at Waldron Rd & M-34, draglining. Still extremely foul for school and for neighbors. And even more draglining starting up, Milk Source's other CAFO, Medina Dairy, began hauling with the usual tankers to a dumpbox on Elm Rd just south of Beecher Rd.

11-2-15 - "WORST MANURE SMELL EVER. LIKE ROTTED BODY PARTS" - Horrendous stench at the Hudson Dairy dump box on Waldron Rd, across from a school, and very close to neighbors and their well in the front yard. Reports say the stench is "brutal, disgusting," "like rotted body parts." Draglining began this morning on the large field at Waldron Rd and M-34. Neighbors are suffering. And fed up. Elsewhere, a neighbor of Bleich CAFO reports: "Hanging out the wash today on the Indian Summer breeze is a putrid combination stench of something between a spittoon and a sewer."

11-2-15 - Three tankers, one waiting in the road, are hauling Hudson Dairy CAFO waste to a dumpbox at intersection of Waldron Rd and M-34.

11-2-15 - Tanker dumping into dumpbox, some liquid spilled on the ground - ("worst manure smell ever," "disgusting").

11-2-15 - Hudson Dairy draglining field black at Waldron and M-34, low area and upslope.

October means weeks of heavy fall manure application, with NO CROP. And no crop to come for months. Good reason to call this what it is: waste disposal, not fertilizer. Just in the last few days, before ECCSCM's Water Monitoring Oct 27, and before the prediction that day for heavy rainfall - a forecast prohibiting CAFO waste application - tankers and haulers had been applying at multiple locations, including these:
•Milk Source's Medina CAFO had been draglining on Dillon Hwy, north of the Durfee Cr Extension (Lime Cr/Bean Cr Watershed); also hauling to the north side of Posey Lake, along Plank Rd.
•Bakerlads CAFO had double applied at the corner of Beecher and Morey, field draining to South Branch of the River Raisin.
•Hartland Farms had applied along Beecher west of Hughes Hwy, field draining to Bear Cr, River Raisin Watershed.
•NOTE: Raymond & Stutzman manure tankers observed on Oct 27 on M-156 and Ridgeville Rd, in spite of MOS forecast prohibiting application that day.

Bulletin! OFF THE CHARTS - E. coli at Site #36, Shierson Drain: 150,000/100mL - ECCSCM Water Monitoring E. coli results from Oct 27 are just back from the DEQ lab, showing an E. coli count of 150,000/100mL at Shierson Drain on Ridgeville Rd, Morenci. Legend CAFO fields and one State Line CAFO field lie immediately upstream. Ammonia levels at Shierson Dr were 6 ppm (see photo below), the highest we've seen on Hach test strips at any site. Ever.
-Michigan's water standard for E. coli is 1,000/100mL, for partial body contact.
-Ammonia in streams should range between 0.01-0.10ppm, and results above 0.10 ppm are "of concern."

Shierson Drain is a tributary of Silver Creek which flows into Bean Creek below Morenci, and on to the Maumee River and Lake Erie.

Two other sites also tested at extremely high levels of E.coli:
91,000/100mL at Deline Cr Extension on Tomer Rd, a site draining Hoffland CAFO fields
5,500/100mL at Lime Cr tributary on Ingall Hwy near Packard Rd, a site draining Medina CAFO fields

Lime Cr tributary on Ingall Hwy, with E. coli count at 5,500/100ml, also had extremely low DO of .23 mg/L. Michigan water standard for Dissolved Oxygen is 5 mg/L or higher, and 3 mg/L is fish-kill level.

Oct 9 - Dangerous air near Hartland Farms CAFO waste application - high Hydrogen Sulfide emissions. Yesterday, Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) exposure reached 0.4ppm (parts per million) near Hartland Farms CAFO waste application on Beecher Rd. Hydrogen Sulfide is the "rotten egg" part of the CAFO waste stink. Several states - NY, KY, New Mexico - have an air standard for H2S, a 1-hr limit of 0.01ppm. Michigan has no air standard for H2S. Hydrogen sulfide can cause headaches, breathing problems, and with severe or chronic exposure can cause neurological damage – it's a brain poison. Health Dept and other agencies were notified.


10-8-15 - Drager meter with oxygen reading (20.5%) and Hydrogen Sulfide reading of 0.4ppm.

Oct 7 - Why it's so hard to document where ALL the CAFO stench comes from – it's OUT OF SIGHT! (Unless you happen to fly overhead)
In a field listed on the Hudson Dairy CAFO CNMP (Comprehensive Nutrient Managment Plan) a semi-tanker is spraying black swaths today, out of sight from roads, back against trees in the middle of a square mile east of US-127, south of Lime Creek Rd (see location below).

Oct 6 - Massive manure applications all around, hard to keep up with reports of black stinking CAFO fields and foul emissions. Here are a dozen or so photos (Milk Source's CAFOs - Hudson Dairy and Medina Dairy; New Flevo Dairy CAFO; Halliwill CAFO, Hoffland CAFO). Just a glimpse of the mess neighbors are dealing with, again. And again, and again.


10-6-15 - Medina Dairy slurry application, extremely thick, on Canandaigua Rd field, east of Ingall.

10-6-15 - Hudson Dairy spray-irrigating north of the facility along US-127. Also, not pictured, spray-irrigation again west of the facility along Elm Rd.

10-6-15 - New Flevo Dairy slurry application, awful goo, at Burton and Springville Rds.

10-6-15 - New Flevo Dairy road slop from slurry hauler, Springville Rd.

10-6-15 - New Flevo Dairy stockpiles, liquid draining from piles, Rome Rd east of US-223.

10-6-15 - New Flevo Dairy manure application from Oct 1, still not incorporated, as required by the CAFO Permit.

10-6-15 - Hoffland CAFO draglining, Haley Rd east of M-156.

10-6-15 - Halliwill application, Burton Rd east of Wilkinson.

10-6-15 - Halliwill sprayer from tanker, Forrister Rd west of Posey Lake Hwy.

10-6-15 - Halliwill truck application, at Forrister Rd and Townley Hwy.

10-6-15 - Hartland Farms CAFO still stockpiling at Forrister Rd and Hawkins Hwy.

Oct 5 - Another day of intense CAFO waste application, morning to night. "They are at it again this morning," reports a neighbor near Hartland Farms CAFO manure application. "Showering the land on Beecher and Hughes, so much that it's pooling." Late in the afternoon, a report from another neighbor, "It's a wet black field, to the road [Beecher Rd]. Stinks all the way to Posey Lake." Hartland Farms was also stockpiling on a hay field at Forrister and Hawkins; also still applying at Cadmus Rd and Hughes Hwy, south of the waterway. Other CAFOs spreading, spraying, draglining today are: Milk Source's Hudson Dairy CAFO (still spray-irrigating east side of Elm Rd west of the facility) and also draglining at Waldron Rd and Dey Rd; Milk Source's Medina Dairy CAFO, spreading "HEAVY" solids, multiple applications east of Ingall Hwy on Canandaigua Rd; Hoffland CAFO applying waste - "strong emissions - at Haley Rd and Wheeler Hwy; and semis hauling liquid waste to surface application on Halliwill CAFO field along Forrister Rd just west of Posey Lake Hwy.

10-5-15 - (left) Hartland Farms spraying manure in the morning, at Beecher Rd and Hughes Hwy. By 4 p.m., (right) whole field was wet and black and stinking.

10-5-15- Hartland stockpiling manure on hay at Forrister and Hawkins Hwy.

10-5-15 - Milk Source's Hudson Dairy CAFO heavy draglining application, completely black, at Waldron and Dey Rds.

10-5-15 - Milk Source's Medina Dairy CAFO, another "HEAVY" application of solids on Canandaigua Rd east of Ingall Hwy.


10-5-15 - Hoffland Farms CAFO application, "strong emissions," at Haley Rd and Wheeler Hwy.

And last, 10-5-15 - semis hauling liquids, surface application on Halliwill CAFO field on Forrister just west of Posey Lake Hwy.

Oct 3 - 10:00 a.m. - Neighbor of Hartland Farms reports the CAFO is: "Actively spraying liquid manure while it is raining."

Oct 1 - Another "disgusting" day of liquid manure and slurry and spray-irrigation - untreated animal sewage on acres and acres of fields here - from almost every CAFO in the vicinity.
Take your pick from the line-up, photos below:
1) Hartland Farms CAFO

10-1-15 - Hartland Farms, draglining, no applicator, just spewing liquid waste, east side of Hughes north of Cadmus Rd.

10-1-15 - Hartland Farms, no incorporation within 24 hrs as required in their CAFO Permit, at multiple locations: Beecher Rd west of Morey (left) and Hughes Hwy, south of Beecher (right); also, not pictured, application on Hartland field, north side of Forrister at Hawkins Hwy.

2) Medina Dairy CAFO

10-1-15 - Medina Dairy black slurry waste field, north side of Canandaigua Rd east of Ingall Hwy.

10-1-15 - Medina Dairy draglining west side of Dillon Hwy south of Medina Rd.

3) Hudson Dairy CAFO

10-1-15 - Hudson Dairy spray-irrigating west of the facility, east of Elm Rd. Passer-by notes the spray "smelled very sour and nasty." Also points out, "Corn has been harvested, so what are we irrigating?"

10-1-15 - Hudson Dairy draglining on Packard Rd, east of US-127.

4) Halliwill CAFO - trucking, applying waste on Forrister west of Posey Lake Hwy.

5) New Flevo CAFO

10-1-15 - Stockpiled waste and New Flevo hauling slurry, north side of Rome Rd near US-223. Also, not pictured, applying liquid waste from tanker on Onsted Hwy north of US-223.

6) Bakerlads CAFO

10-1-15 - Bakerlads CAFO draglining east of the facility on Cadmus Rd. Waste application is too close to this tile riser, a surface inlet. CAFO Permit language is clear: "CAFO waste shall not be applied closer than 100 feet to ... conduits to surface waters...open tile line intake structures..."

10-1-15 - Bakerlads waste application from last week on Cadmus Rd, still no incorporation, in violation of the CAFO Permit which requires incorporation within 24 hrs.

One last photo from 10-1-15, Hoffland CAFO's Rice Lake Drain, clogged with algae, a degraded stream with a decade-long history of contamination.
No changes in bad waste practices, no sign of good water here.

Sept 30 - "One mile south of Hudson Dairy, Hudson Michigan. Strong ENE wind. High stench emission. No visible waste application. Likely from facility." In Hudson Twp, following Hartland Farms application in rain yesterday, there's visible ponding over the Miller Tile, which drains to the South Branch of the River Raisin.

9-30-15 - ponding over Miller Tile, draining to S. Branch of the River Raisin, following Hartland Farm CAFO waste application in rain.

Sept 29 - Hartland Farms CAFO applying during rainfall, a practice prohibited in the CAFO Permit.

9-29-15 - Hartland Farms surface-spraying during rainfall, field along Beecher Rd west of Morey Hwy.

Sept 25 - Milk Source's Medina Dairy CAFO is applying solids east of the facility, again. "Putrifying stench." South Medina Drain, which begins at the CAFO facility and flows east, is "looking worse."

9-25-15 - South Medina Drain, a stream already listed as "impaired," is gray water today, "looking worse."

9-25-15 - Medina CAFO spreading solids, again, east of the facility.

Sept 24 - Emissions continue - "Same as yesterday. Hudson Dairy applying raw animal sewage on field at US 127 & Donnelly. Staying inside is the healthiest choice."

Sept 23 - "Unbearable...for several days" - And today, a beautiful first day of fall, CAFOs are fouling the air in at least 5 townships (Adrian, Rollin, Hudson, Dover, Medina). A neighbor near Terrehaven CAFO reports: "Unbearable stench coming from cow farm and spreading of manure from Terrehaven Farms for several days." Also, report from Lime Lake near US-127: "Putrid emissions causing headache. Traced source and found Hudson Dairy applying animal sewage on field at US-127 and Donnelly. Less than a mile away. Northeast wind. Keep the windows closed and any children inside thanks to industrial agriculture."
Look at the 9 photos below, all taken today, 9-23-15 (Milk Source's Medina Dairy CAFO and Hudson Dairy CAFO; Bleich CAFO, Bakerlads CAFO, Hartland Farms CAFO, New Flevo Dairy CAFO). Photos show just a fraction of the CAFO waste being sprayed, spread, hauled, draglined around us.
Medina Dairy CAFO spray-irrigating, Ingall Hwy
Medina Dairy CAFO spreading solids, Ingall Hwy
Bleich CAFO draglining, Hillside Rd
Bakerlads CAFO draglining, Cadmus Rd
Hartland Farms surface application, Cadmus Rd
Hartland Farms surface application, Hughes Hwy
Hudson Dairy CAFO draglining, Donnelly Rd
New Flevo Dairy CAFO, Forrister Rd, east of Rollin Hwy
New Flevo Dairy CAFO, Forrister Rd east of Townley Hwy

Sept 21 - Two reports of "awful" emissions from Hartland Farms CAFO waste application along Beecher Rd, west of Hughes Hwy. Neighbors report headaches, burning eyes, "we're sick over here." With light wind and aerosolized manure spray, the emissions can drift far around and affect many neighbors. Another reports, "Had to shut all the windows -- again. Why is it legal to spray sewage in the air?"

9-21-15 - Hartland Farms liquid CAFO waste application along Beecher Rd west of Hughes Hwy.

Sept 19 - Neighbor of Bakerlads CAFO reports liquid manure was sprayed within the last 24 hours, during a period of predicted rainfall when CAFO waste application was prohibited. The CAFO Permit prohibits waste application when NOAA weather forecasts predict .5-.9” precipitation within 24 hrs. (when "Q24" code equals 4)

Bakerlads liquid waste application north side of Cadmus Rd, west of Morey Hwy, during time of predicted rainfall when waste application was prohibited.

Sept 15 - Report of "EXTREME STENCH" at Hudson Dairy CAFO waste application, recently draglined, on Squawfield Rd, west of US-127. Several CAFO waste applications today, including Medina Dairy CAFO, spraying waste on growing hay through the NE irrigator near Medina Rd and Ingall Hwy; also waste application on White Farms CAFO field just west of the main Lime Lake Inlet, an impaired watershed.

9-15-15 - "EXTREME STENCH" - Hudson Dairy field, recently draglined, on Squawfield Rd west of US-127.

9-15-15 - Medina Dairy CAFO spray-irrigating waste on growing hay, near Medina Rd and Ingall Hwy.

9-15-15 - CAFO waste application, White Farms field, just west of the main Lime Lake Inlet.

Sept 10 - Another report from resident south of Hudson Dairy: "It stunk like sh*t last night and it still stinks like sh*t this morning."

Sept 9 - Neighbor of Milk Source's Hudson Dairy reports: "Winds coming from the northeast. Another beautiful evening destroyed by putrid emissions from factory farms. Stay indoors. It's a shame you can't send photos of the stench because there would be many."

Sept 1 - Second application this season - Medina Dairy CAFO is draglining field on north side of Canandaigua (draglined this same field before - see entry for Aug 7).

9-1-15 - Medina Dairy draglining, for the second time (first time 8-7-15), north side of Canandaigua Rd east of Ingall Hwy.

Aug 29 - Variable winds this morning, emissions come and go. A neighbor of Bleich Dairy CAFO reports, "An overbearing sulfur-like stench having who knows what kind of health effects. Luckily it didn't last very long." Intermittent, repeated exposure to low levels of Hydrogen sulfide (and other gases) is a serious health concern for neighbors (and for workers at CAFOs). In reports to ECCSCM, neighbors often mention headaches, nausea, watery eyes, coughs, etc. The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry notes that Hydrogen sulfide is a mucous membrane and respiratory irritant, absorbed through the lungs. Chronic exposure "has been reported to cause low blood pressure, headache, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, ataxia, eye-membrane inflammation, and chronic cough. Neurologic symptoms, including psychological disorders, have been associated with chronic exposure. Chronic exposure may be more serious for children because of their potential longer latency period."

Aug 26 - More manure application along US-127 north of Hudson, just north of Forrister Rd. Hartland Farms CAFO is applying manure, north side of Beecher Rd east of Dowling Hwy, with "sickening, putrid" emissions affecting neighbors in several directions, with variable winds today. "

Aug 25 - "Stinks to high heaven," a driver reports, from manure applications on both sides of US-127 north of Hudson, just north of Forrister Rd. Hudson Dairy CAFO is hauling tankerloads of liquid waste south of Hudson to Waldron, with dump box on Hartley Rd, application on field next to Waldron Elementary School. Another dump box is set up in on Camden Rd.

Aug 22 - Several reports of intense emissions this morning. From south of Hudson Dairy CAFO in Wright Twp, Hillsdale Co, a neighbor reports: "No wind. Ammonia-like emissions hanging in the air. No one should be forced to breathe this any day, let alone a beautiful morning like this. I have to keep the grandchildren inside. I hope these factory farms are proud of their profits at the expense of the health of fellow human beings. I speculate they don't really care and bottom line is what really matters." Also, from a driver at M-34 and Cadmus Rd, Dover Twp, Lenawee Co – "had to shut the windows of the car, terrible stink for several miles. Can't see the field, but it's near here."

Aug 13 – "Economic development trumps human health once again" – a beautiful summer day and evening, destroyed by foul CAFO air: DAY 4 –"another day of tankers" from State Line CAFO, hauling pig manure through the City of Morenci. Hartland Farms CAFO has moved its tanker/draglining operation to the Village of Clayton. "Horrible" for residents there from the Hartland application on Cadmus Rd just northwest of town. Also, this report: "Lime Lake residents getting attacked by noxious CAFO waste emissions as the result of CAFO waste being draglined at the intersection of Burt Rd and Coman Rd. Tankers are coming from Hudson Dairy. Simply spreading the cost of doing business on to the rural residents who must suffer at the actions of CAFOS. Economic development trumps human health once again."


8-13-15 - Hartland Farms draglining operation on Cadmus Rd west of Morey Hwy, just outside of Clayton.

8-13-15 - extreme emissions in Clayton from this Hartland draglining, field wet and pooled in places, Cadmus Rd west of Morey Hwy.

Aug 12 - Foul, intolerable day all around:
•State Line CAFO is at it AGAIN in Morenci - "day three underway" of manure tankers hauling through downtown. Think how many hog pits - how deep the waste - to fill all those tankers for 3 days. Think how much untreated waste is going on fields within a mile or so of town. CAFOs are city-size in terms of waste. The hog waste from State Line CAFO, just that one CAFO, is greater than the human waste from the Cities of Morenci, Hudson, and Tecumseh combined. But no city could spray its waste on the ground untreated. It's time to bring CAFOs into the 21st century – haul them out of the 19th century! – and require them, like other cities, to treat their waste.
•Dead fish in Rice Lake Drain – the tragic consequences of untreated waste are very visible today: degraded water quality. DEQ, DNR have not investigated, although the EPA details the River and Stream Impacts of animal waste: "Manure, and wastewater containing manure, can severely harm river and stream ecosystems. Manure contains ammonia which is highly toxic to fish at low levels. Increased amounts of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus...can cause algal blooms which block waterways and deplete oxygen as they decompose. This can kill fish and other aquatic organisms, devastating the entire aquatic food chain." Rice Lake Drain drains Hoffland Farms CAFO facility and fields. Dissolved oxygen levels are well below the Michigan water standard of 5.0mg/L or higher at several locations, and way below fish-kill levels of 3.0mg/L. DO at Rice Lake Drain is 1.25mg/L; even worse, in Durfee Creek Extension, which drains only Medina Dairy CAFO facility and fields, the DO is 0.58mg/L.
•Hartland Farms CAFO is draglining untreated waste on cut wheat, NO incorporation, just spewing, at M-34 and Dowling Hwy, just east of Hudson.
•E&R tankers (Bleich CAFO hauling operation) spreading untreated waste on cut hay on the north side of Rome Rd between Kiel Hwy and Rollin Hwy.
•Hudson Dairy CAFO hauling via Briskey tankers to field on Coman Rd south of Burt in Wright Twp, Hillsdale Co.

8-12-2015 - dead fish in Rice Lake Drain at Haley Rd, just downstream from Hoffland CAFO facility and fields.

8-12-15 - Rice Lake Drain Dissolved Oxygen (1.25mg/L), way below fish-kill levels of 3.0 mg/L; and worse at Durfee Cr Extension (0.58 mg/L).

8-12-15 - Hartland Farms CAFO draglining, spewing, at M-34 and Dowling Hwy, with NO applicator, NO calibration, NO incorporation.

Aug 11 - Stutzman tankers are back at it, hauling State Line CAFO liquid pig manure through downtown. Foul for city residents. "Yesterday ...almost called the gas company to check for a leak, but it also had a manure odor to it ... finally figured out what was going on." Northwest of Adrian, "Putrid, disgusting, eye-watering stench" at Terrehaven CAFO facility on Hunt Rd, and south. A resident reports, "It's a 10 on the stench-o-meter on this beautiful summer day."

Aug 10 - Humid, funky, off-and-on rain day. Emissions hang in the air. Morenci resident reports Stutzman "tanker after tanker after tanker" hauling State Line CAFO liquid (pig) manure ALL DAY through town: "That's a lot of manure." Tankers are turning west from M-156 onto Main St, to Ranger Hwy, south 1/2 mi towards State Line Rd. Manure field is on the Michigan side of the border. At 4:30, still hauling. At 5:30, rains hit. Bakerlads CAFO was also applying manure on a hay field at Morey and Beecher.

8-10-15 - Stutzman tanker hauling State Line CAFO liquid manure to Ranger Hwy field, just north of the Ohio line, in Michigan.

Saturday, Aug 8 - Clayton Summerfest today, but it's not too festive with Bakerlads CAFO "awful, ferocious stench," from liquid manure spray application on a field within village limits.

8-8-15 - This Bakerlads field within Clayton village limits on Morey Hwy smells "awful" for Summerfest.

Quite a weekend - Aug 7-9 - "Celebrate Hudson" Festival, with US-127 Yard Sales and Neighborhood Garage Sales everywhere. Also, just down the road on M-34, Clayton Summerfest, with Hartland Farms listed as "Proud Sponsor" (see Hartland Farms "Dairy-air" contribution below).
Weather Forecast - great summer weather.
Manure Forecast - it's in the air, & it stinks.
Here's why: liquid manure draglining operations have just finished or are just starting from several CAFOs in the Hudson & Clayton area: Milk Source's Hudson Dairy on US-127 just south of Hudson is draglining on Munson Hwy, not incorporating) and Milk Source's Medina Dairy on Dillon Hwy southeast of Hudson just draglined on Gallup Rd, also Canandaigua; and Hartland Farms CAFO on Hughes Hwy, Clayton (still stench from previous application at Cadmus & Hughes) is now ready-to-go with a dumpbox on cut wheatfield at Dowling and M-34 east of Hudson.

8-7-15 - Hudson Dairy draglining on Munson Hwy, manure spraying on the surface, disk in the air, not incorporating.

8-7-15 - Medina Dairy dumpbox and draglined field on Canandaigua Rd.

8-7-15 - Medina Dairy field on Canandaigua (labeled with CNMP field number) surface-applied, not incorporated.


8-7-15 - Medina Dairy leftover manure rivulets in tracks and field after draglining, Gallup Rd.
8-7-15 - dumpbox set up on Hartland Farms field at Dowling Hwy and M-34 east of Hudson, ready to go.

Aug 5 - Several reports of "extreme stench" in multiple locations, a nightmare this beautiful summer evening. Emissions are carrying for miles in light and variable winds. Hartland Farms surface application of liquid manure on Cadmus Rd at Hughes Hwy was causing "extreme stench all the way to Clayton" (2 miles to the east), and all the way to Dowling Hwy (2 miles west). Another neighbor wrote, "couldn't sit on the porch, in a minute my shirt stank. Hair stank. At least Hart hair will stink too, they're even closer." Hartland Farms was also draglining liquid manure on both sides of Hughes Hwy, south of Plank Rd, same fields where solids were applied on July 27. New Flevo Dairy was applying liquid manure, up and down slopes, on Forrister east of Skinner. Hoffland CAFO was draglining on Haley east of M-156 and on Haley west of Wheeler. Medina Dairy CAFO has set up draglining operation at Gallup Rd fields, Packard Rd and Ingall Hwy. So there's more, much more, to come.

8-5-15 - Hartland Farms tanker surface-applying liquid manure along Cadmus Rd east of Hughes.

8-5-15 - "Extreme stench" from this Hartland liquid manure application on slope along Cadmus Rd, east of Hughes.

8-5-15 - Hartland Farms field after draglining liquid manure (on top of manure solids), on Hughes Hwy south of Plank Rd.

New Flevo Dairy black surface application, up and down hills, on Forrister Rd east of Skinner Hwy.

Aug 4 - " Pee-yew" - Waterland (New Flevo) equipment applying liquid manure on the same Shepherd Rd field where solids were applied on Aug 1 and Aug 2. Emailer asks a good question: "Is manure frosting on top of dry chunks a new conservation practice?" Also, just east of Loch Erin, Warner Farms tankers are applying liquid manure on cut wheat, east side of Pentecost Hwy, just north of Reed Rd. Report to ECCSCM: "Pee-yew."

8-4-15 - Waterland/New Flevo equipment, liquid manure application over solids, Shepherd Rd.

8-4-15 - Warner liquid manure application, Pentecost Hwy, dust and drift and stink.

Aug 2, and Aug 1 - Big chunks - Passer-by reports: "Dry solids applied on Aug 1 and 2 on cut wheat field, with no incorporation within 24 hours," on Shepherd Rd., Adrian Township. Unknown source. "It stinks, especially after rain last night. Those are some big chunks."


Stench reported from manure solids, some very big chunks, on a cut wheat field on Shepherd Rd, Aug 1 and 2, 2015.

Aug 2 - Sunday Stench Alert! - Bleich Dairy CAFO neighbor reports: "It stinks. The wind is blowing it this way. I can't say for sure it was because of the stench but this morning when the dog was being let out it took a big whiff and choked."

July 29 - Still hot, 90 degrees, very humid - misery for neighbors near manure applications: Milk Source's Hudson Dairy CAFO is stockpiling and spreading solids along Prattville Rd between Gilbert & Tripp in Ransom Twp, Hillsdale Co - with dust & particulates rising and drifting. Medina Dairy CAFO continues draglining along Ridgeville Rd, north & south sides.

7-29-15 - Hudson Dairy CAFO stockpiling and spreading solids, Prattville Rd.

7-29-15 - Dust and particulates rising, drifting from Hudson Dairy manure spreader on Prattville Rd.

7-29-15 - Ponding following Medina Dairy draglining, which continues along Ridgeville Rd today.

July 28 - It's hot, it's dry, and CAFOs are hauling, draglining, spreading, and spraying manure. Bad days for neighbors. Medina Dairy CAFO is draglining on Ridgeville east of US-127, industrial-grade manure application; Hartland Farms CAFO applying on cut wheat ground, both sides of Hughes Hwy south of Plank Rd; New Flevo Dairy CAFO is spreading on Forrister east of Skinner Hwy; manure application on Halliwilll CAFO field on Burton west of Shierson. Also, Marowelli ditch of concern - full of black goo - along Burton Rd east of Townley.

7-28-15 - Medina Dairy tankers & dumpbox along Ridgeville, pump & dragline in foreground.

7-28-15 - New Flevo Dairy manure application, Forrister east of Skinner.

7-28-15 - manure application on Halliwill CAFO field, Burton west of Shierson.

7-28-15 - black goo and scum in Marowelli ditch along Burton Rd east of Townley.

July 22 - Several reports of Hudson Dairy CAFO on US-127 spreading manure solids in the Lime Lake Watershed, Coman Rd & Squawfield Rd, on a new field bordering Lime Lake Inlet. With so many inlands lakes, like Lime Lake ( and Lake Erie downstream) distressed with excess phosphorus, neighbors monitor manure applications in Lime Lake Watershed closely. Solids spreaders are "entering just north of the waterway on Coman and coming out on Squawfield...loading from the north lagoon at the Hudson Dairy applying on a field of weeds."

July 21 - "Extreme stench" reported from neighbors of Hartland Farms CAFO along Beecher Rd. "Can't breathe outside. Sore throat, burning."

July 10 - Another weekend - with this Stench Alert sent in from a driver northwest of Adrian: "What a beautiful Friday afternoon in a Michigan summer! That is, unless you live near Terrehaven on Hunt Rd...or near the Warner barn on Pentecost Hwy in Franklin Township. Stench is bad...neighbors can't enjoy the fresh air today. What a way to start the weekend."

July 5 - Fourth of July weekend - A neighbor of Milk Source's Hudson Dairy CAFO on US-127 reports, "Strong, offensive emissions. No air movement, stench just hanging. Hoping for a wind from the south soon. Thank you factory farms!"

June 16 - "On a level of 1-10 (with 10 being the worst) about an 8. Almost, but not quite vomit stage. Another night stuck inside with the windows closed," reports a neighbor one mile SE of White Farms CAFO (hogs) and a mile south of Hudson Dairy CAFO.

June 5 - Friday evening, weekend coming up - Neighbor near Milk Source's Hudson Dairy CAFO on US-127 reports: "Strong north wind bringing offensive feces odor from Hudson Dairy. No sleeping with the windows open tonight or even enjoying sitting outside." Friday morning, Milk Source's Medina Dairy CAFO, Dillon Hwy, is hauling liquid waste, spraying on a cut hayfield along Medina Rd, north of the facility. Neighbor reports: "Odor is worst I've smelled in last ten years. Semi tankers hauling waste ... at five to ten minute intervals since...6 in the morning." Many people can't just leave when emissions are terrible. Like this neighbor, "What option do I have, it's my home."

6-5-15 - Medina Dairy liquid waste application on cut hayfield, Medina Rd.

6-5-15 - close-up of ponded liquid waste, Medina Dairy application, Medina Rd.

June 3 - AGAIN - New & stinking manure has been surface-applied on field at Elm & Beecher (same field as below). Nearby, intense silage stench, eye-burning, from Bleich CAFO is hitting neighbors today (wind from the east); terrible smell all the way west past the facility on Stewart Rd to Somerset Rd and beyond.

June 1 - MDEQ has informed ECCSCM that it was NOT Medina Dairy that was spreading waste on the field in question on May 29 and they will look at this further. The field in question is Field #806-14A on Medina Dairy’s 2014 CNMP field maps, p. 72. 2015 field maps for Medina Dairy CAFO are under revision and not yet available. Thanks to all who assisted in getting this information corrected and we will update when possible.

May 29 - (See June 1, 2015 for Update) Hot day today, humidity rising, with report of "sinus-burning stench north and east of New Flevo, drifting at least 3/4 of a mile. Looks like another stinky weekend for neighbors." CAFO waste continues to be applied to the field at Beecher & Elm (portion of field closest to St. Joseph Creek - one of the highest quality streams in SE Michigan). The National Weather Service forecasts a high probabilily of rain in excess of 1/2" within 24 hrs -- applying CAFO waste at such times is a violation of the CAFO Permit. Smells terrible along Beecher Rd where Consumer Energy trucks are working on the power line. Better hold their noses! (In reporting which CAFOs are applying manure on particular fields, ECCSCM relies on public information provided by CAFOs to the State of Michigan, including maps showing each facility’s manure application fields. This field is Field #806-14A on Medina Dairy’s 2014 CNMP field maps, p. 72. 2015 field maps for Medina Dairy CAFO are under revision and not yet available. )

5-29-15 - Medina Dairy CAFO applying manure today, far right area with St. Joseph Cr just beyond in the woods.

May 26 -A field listed in Milk Source's Medina Dairy CAFO's Comprehensive Nutrient Managemnt Plan is being applied with manure solids . Neighbor writes: "Gag! It stinks at Elm and Beecher, manure solids spread thick...they sure don't want it where they live." Correction & Note on Field Data: Milk Source informs ECCSCM that Medina Dairy was not applying to this field on May 26. We appreciate corrections of fact. The stench, however, was reported to ECCSCM on May 26. It’s possible the application occurred May 25. (In reporting which CAFOs are applying manure on particular fields, ECCSCM relies on public information provided by CAFOs to the State of Michigan, including maps showing each facility’s manure application fields. This field is Field #806-14A on Medina Dairy’s 2014 CNMP field maps, p. 72). 2015 field maps for Medina Dairy CAFO are under revision and not yet available.)

May 22 - Memorial Day weekend coming up - Report from Rollin Hwy: "Stench is terrible today again at [Bleich CAFO] application site, no injection and no incorporation, more than 24 hours afterwards. I feel so sorry for the folks who are coming to visit graves just downwind and across the road at the historic Rollin Friends Church and cemetery..."

5-22-15 - Bleich CAFO manure application, Rollin Hwy, no incorporation.

May 21 - Air really stinks at the Bleich CAFO production area on US-127 north of Hudson, where they're expanding with a new barn. MORE emissions for neighbors to try to live with. And today, a driver reports, "Bleich tankers are spreading the stench far and wide," hauling liquid manure to a field that "smells awful" on Rollin Hwy, just north of Rome Rd.

May 20 - Neighbors report Hudson Dairy CAFO is hauling liquid manure again, in tankers from the north concrete lagoon; and also hauling solids "dump trucks running for the last two days," west of the facility on Tamarack Rd; near Clayton, Bakerlads CAFO is applying manure north side of Cadmus Rd, west of Morey Hwy.

May 7 - A neighbor of Bleich Dairy CAFO reports: "It is very uncomfortably warm in the home today but I dare not open the windows as there continues to be a nostril burning putrid stench on the spring breeze coming from Bleich Dairy from early this morning until present, hopefully not all through the night." When CAFO emissions interfere with neighbors' daily lives, when they can't open windows in the heat, that's a public health threat.

May 3 - "Horrendous stench" from Bakerlads manure application with no incorporation, spread before predicted rainfall, north side of Cadmus Rd, west of Morey Hwy, and next to South Branch of the River Raisin.

5-3-15 - Bakerlads manure application, spread before predicted rain, next to South Branch River Raisin (green strip in center of photo).

May 1 - More bad news for Packard Rd, and worse for neighbors in the area – reports coming in of Medina Dairy hauling manure today on Packard to field at the NE corner of Packard and Munson.

April 30 - Hoffland CAFO is hauling tankers of liquid manure, stench even from passing tankers, to a field west of M-156, north side of Tomer. This field is bisected by Bear Creek, the inlet to Lake Hudson, immediately downstream, across Tomer Rd. Draglines stretch down a slope out of sight, towards Bear Creek. Report notes, "Couldn’t see over the slope, down the hill to where they were draglining. Three tankers were waiting to dump in the dump box."

April 29 - Milk Source's Medina Dairy has been hauling solids along Packard Rd, same as last week (see below). Now more damage, the last 2 days. This email just came in: "The new dairy owners are using Briskey Construction to haul manure. In the last two days after tearing up Packard Rd. especially between Dillon and Ingall we have witnessed dump trucks running non stop uncovered, waste flying out of trucks (and even hitting a driver's car), 3 vehicles out of control one almost landing in our yard, one almost hitting a tree in our yard. We have a high volume of traffic with school busses and Lenawee transportation as well as residents, and the impact on the road has made it almost impossible to keep a car under control. The road is beaten down to a sand pit and driving on it is very dangerous."

Medina Dairy road damage last week, April 23. Same problem for neighbors, AGAIN, from hauling the last two days.

April 27 - fields are drying out, fecal dust and particulates are in the air. As the child said yesterday (see entry below), "It smells like poop out here!" Stench and emission reports are coming in from south to north in Lenawee Co: in Seneca Twp, Legend Dairy CAFO, Morenci, has tankers hauling liquid manure to application at Stutzman Farms, Packard Rd and Seneca Hwy; also hauling to northwest and northeast fields at intersection of Ridgeville Rd and Seneca Hwy. Nearby, intense hog manure stench on Ridgeville Rd and Mulberry Rd ("felt really sorry for the people downwind") east of State Line CAFO, Morenci. In Dover Twp, Hoffland CAFO is draglining again, this time north of the facility, east side of Wheeler Hwy. And from Rollin Twp, New Flevo CAFO has "at least 4 trucks hauling" and stockpiling, spreading solids, south side of Rome Rd, east of Glen Hill Hwy.

4-27-15 - Legend Dairy CAFO application at Stutzman Farms, Packard Rd and Seneca Hwy.


4-27-15 - Legend draglining at northwest field at intersection of Seneca and Ridgeville Rd.


4-27-15 - Legend applying with tanker at northeast field at intersection of Seneca and Ridgeville Rd.


4-27-15 - New Flevo dumping, stockpiling, spreading manure solids, Rome Rd east of Glen Hill Hwy.

April 26 - this email describes what close neighbors of CAFOs often live with, in this case Hudson Dairy CAFO, US-127 south of Hudson: "A nice sunny day on Sunday the 26th of April, 2015. It was extra special because the grandchildren were visiting. We walk outside and immediately a 5 year old says 'It smells like poop out here!' I explained to him as best I could that some people are more interested in making money, no matter how it ruins what should be fun activities for families. They don't feed the world, they feed their bank accounts. I live one mile south of Hudson Dairy and we had a northeast wind that brought the toxic emissions to my home."

April 23 - stench, more draglining, Hoffland CAFO at same location as yesterday, with dragline apparently crossing Rice Lake Drain. New Flevo Dairy is draglining north of M-34, east side of Sword Hwy. Elsewhere, Medina Dairy is trucking solids, stockpiling and spreading on south side of Packard Road west of Bothwell.

4-23-15 - Hoffland CAFO dragline apparently crossing Rice Lake Drain, pumping liquid manure overland more than a mile to field on M-156 north of Bear Creek.


4-23-15 - New Flevo Dairy CAFO draglining north of M-34, east side of Sword Hwy.

4-23-15 - Medina Dairy CAFO trucking, stockpiling, spreading solids on Packard west of Bothwell.

April 22 - Hoffland CAFO is draglining liquid manure (in a field not listed in its CNMP as of 11-30-14), along M-156 south of Haley Rd.

April 14 - more stench for neighbors, more liquid manure on wet ground, and more road damage at several locations as manure-tankers continue hauling - Forrister Rd, a dozen damage sites between New Flevo CAFO and Skinner Hwy; also damage on Shepherd Rd east of Wisner Hwy (Warner hauling).

4-14-15 - Shepherd Rd west of Wisner. Warner manure tankers are taking Shepherd east to M-52 then south to Gady

Warner tankers yesterday at Gady field.

4-14-15 - Warner application at Gady Rd; waste not incorporated, streaming on the surface.

4-14-15 - New Flevo draglining, same field as yesterday on Manitou Rd. Tires on the tractor are packed in mud. Field drenched in waste.

April 13 - New Flevo CAFO draglining liquid manure, at least 5 tankers hauling to Manitou Rd. Serious road damage on Forrister Rd. Warner Farms also applying with multiple tankers hauling to Gady Rd east of M-52.

4-13-15 - Road damage on Forrister in front of New Flevo Dairy CAFO; (right) NFD tankers loading, hauling at the facility.

4-13-15 - New Flevo draglining field, south side of Manitou Rd.

April 6 - Rain forecast the next 3 days - but more draglining continues: New Flevo Dairy CAFO at Hoddinot & Wilkinson again; and Bleich CAFO south of the facility on the east side of US-127.

April 2 - A neighbor of Bleich CAFO reports to ECCSCM, "It has rained most of the day, when coming home on Culbert Rd, I could tell they had spread manure, it smelled, the roads were a horrible muddy mess. I had thought I read that they are not to spread when rain is in the forecast. This is the Bleich farms. They spread all winter long in the snow..."

April 1 - (See aerial photos of Bleich lagoon-pumping today.) With thaw, the surge of CAFO manure application is in full force at several locations, including north of Addison, Bleich Dairy - "massive" application - pumping out of a dump box at US-127 and Defay Rd on slope surrounding a wetland; New Flevo Dairy northwest of Adrian, is draglining north side of Hoddinott Rd east of Wilkinson Hwy. We appreciate neighbors' concerns and encourage all to contact ECCSCM, send details or photos when you see manure applications during this high-risk spring season.

4-1-15 - Bleich CAFO draglining around a wetland south side of Defay Rd, at US-127 north of Addison.


4-1-15 - (Above), New Flevo Dairy CAFO draglining north side of Hoddinott Rd; and (below), black field application.

Also April 1, (below) Warner Farms silage heap appears uncontained, draining and pooling in field at Elton Hwy.

March 29 - spring & spray is on the way - manure dump box for draglining liquid maure is placed at US-127 and Defay Rd north of Addison; other draglining preparations also observed near NFD in recent days, a pump along Forrester Rd, and more set-up on Hoddinott Rd.

March 10 - major thaw has begun, with temps in the 40s and 50s this week. Runoff from manure application fields is already pooling in fields, many with tile inlets draining to streams. March is the month the "surge" of dissolved phosphorus begins to flow from fields to tiles to streams, to Lake Erie. A few photos of runoff near manure application fields and CAFO production areas:

3-10-15 - Black Creek at Beebe Hwy, downstream from (second photo) Warner Farms manure application field on Elton Hwy. (See 2-23-15 photo of Warner manure application)

3-10-15 - Black Creek at Wolf Creek Hwy, downstream from Terrehaven manure application and drainage area of back-of-field barns.

3-10-15 - Pooled runoff east of Terrehaven production area, draining into residential area and catch basin to Baker Tile.

March 9 - Neighbor of Bleich Dairy CAFO reports: "Never ending stench emitting from Bleich dairy all of the day and into the night. Disgusting."

March 2, March 4 - ON FROZEN AND SNOW-COVERED GROUND - ongoing Hartland Farms CAFO manure application on a field listed for NO winter application in Hartland CNMP, Beecher Rd east of Dowling Hwy.

Feb 27 - ON FROZEN AND SNOW-COVERED GROUND - Hartland Farms manure application, south side of Cadmus Rd west of Hughes Hwy.

2-27-15 - Hartland Farms manure application, Cadmus Rd west of Hughes Hwy.

Feb 23 - ON FROZEN AND SNOW-COVERED GROUND - Multiple manure applications by Hartland Farms CAFO, Bleich Dairy CAFO (2 locations), and Warner Farms:

2-23-15 - Hartland Farms manure application, north side of Cadmus east of Hughes Hwy.

2-23-15 - Bleich Dairy manure application, east side of Gardner Rd north of Stewart Rd.

2-23-15 - more Bleich manure, north side of Culbert 1/2 mi. east of Waldron Rd.

2-23-15 - Warner Farms manure application, east side of Elton Rd.

Feb 4 - Report from neighbor near Bleich CAFO: "...at 2 AM this morning, I could smell stench from Bleich dairy outside ... It is 8:15 AM, now the putrid stench from the bottom of the lagoons is inside and outside the house."

Feb 3 - ON FROZEN AND SNOW-COVERED GROUND - Bakerlads CAFO, again, manure application on south side of Cadmus Rd west of Morey Hwy.

Jan 27 - ON FROZEN AND SNOW-COVERED GROUND - More fresh CAFO waste applications by Bakerlads and Hartland Farms, along Cadmus Rd west of Morey.

Bakerlads CAFO application, south side of Cadmus Rd west of Morey Hwy.

Bakerlads, north side of Cadmus west of Morey.

Hartland Farms CAFO application, approx. 1 mi west of Morey, north side of Cadmus Rd.

Jan 16 - ON FROZEN AND SNOW-COVERED GROUND - Bakerlads still applying along south side of Cadmus Rd just west of Morey Hwy.

1-16-15 - Bakerlads still applying, Cadmus Rd, South Branch of River Raisin Watershed.

Jan 15 -ON FROZEN AND SNOW-COVERED GROUND - 2 CAFOs spreading manure in Hudson Twp: Hartland Farms on Hughes Hwy south of Beecher Rd; Bakerlads west of Morey Hwy on Cadmus Rd.

Hartland Farms CAFO manure application of Jan 15, far back in field, mostly in low areas, drains to Bear Cr, River Raisin Watershed

Jan 13 - ON FROZEN AND SNOW-COVERED GROUND - Bakerlads CAFO spreading solids just north of the South Branch of the River Raisin, on east side of Morey Hwy, north of Beecher Rd.

Jan 2 - ON FROZEN GROUND - Voluntary compliance? (NOPE) with DEQ's request to CAFOs to stop manure application on frozen or snow-covered ground in Lake Erie Watershed. Two CAFOs here are applying both liquid and solid manures today, on ground frozen solid. New Flevo/Waterland Dairy CAFO is hauling to at least 3 locations: spraying liquid manure, northeast corner of Slee and Brooks Rds, just west of the village of Onsted, on a field not included in their CNMP; also spreading solids on Forrister Rd, 1/2 mi. east of Wilkinson, with no setback from a tile riser; and also hauling in tankers, spraying liquid manure north side of Shepherd Rd, 1/4 mi. east of Pentecost Hwy in Adrian Twp. Elsewhere, north of Hudson, Bleich CAFO is also applying manure solids, south side of Stewart Rd, just west of Somerset Rd.

1-2-15 - both photos above: New Flevo/Waterland spraying CAFO waste on frozen ground, a field at Slee and Brooks Rd not in their CNMP, just west of Onsted.


1-2-15 - New Flevo/Waterland waste on frozen ground, Forrister Rd east of Wilkinson, with no setback from tile riser.

1-2-15 - New Flevo/Waterland spraying on frozen ground, sloping field not in their CNMP, on Shepherd Rd east of Pentecost Hwy, Adrian Twp.

2014

Dec 19 - Hartland Farms CAFO is spreading solids, SW corner of Beecher Rd and Hughes Hwy. This field drains through sub-surface Henning Dr to Bear Cr/Lake Hudson (River Raisin Watershed).

12-19-14 - Hartland Farms application, Hughes Hwy south of Beecher.

Dec 13 - the weekend begins - Sat. 9 am: Hudson Dairy manure tankers are rolling through Hudson to a field north side of Beecher Rd near Posey Lake. Dumpbox and the usual massive draglining operation, at least 5 Briskey and E&R tankers running the loop. This field is NOT included in Hudson Dairy's CNMP for waste application. Late afternoon, tankers still running: with low-hanging mist, the stink is spreading out, for miles.

Dec 11 - ON FROZEN GROUND - cold again - reeking, bottom-of-the-barrel putrid stench from Hartland Farms manure-spraying on Dowling Hwy, south of Beecher Rd. Hudson Dairy trucks hauling to Waldron Rd site, same as yesterday (below); and also Hudson Dairy CAFO waste application near the facility, east side of US-127 north of Donnelly.

Dec 10 - Another day, another stream of CAFO waste, diarrhetic ("abnormal frequency and fluidity of fecal evacuations" def. Dictionary.com), hitting Pittsford Twp. Milk Source's Hudson Dairy moved the dumpbox about a mile north from Dec. 7-8 field, draglining again.

12-10-14 - black manure field on Waldron Rd just south of Day Rd - Hudson Dairy draglining.

Dec 9 - A gray drizzly day, rain last night, Hartland Farms CAFO is spraying liquid manure on wet fields on Dowling Hwy. Stink hangs in the air, very foul.

Dec 7 - Milk Source's Hudson Dairy is spraying massive amounts of liquid manure, same field as Oct 13 (Waldron Rd & M-34), with dump box and tankers unloading next to a residence, VERY close to the household wellhead (circled in RED below), and directly across Waldron Rd from the Seventh Day Adventist Church and School. Tractor is draglining as far as the hose will reach; beyond that, tanker-trucks are driving across the field at the far SW end, spraying on a slope so steep the trucks can barely drive up. See video below (and others, Can the tanker get up the hill?; Pity the biota, etc. on ECCSCM's YouTube channel).


12-7-14 - Hudson Dairy liquid manure dump box being filled from tanker; household wellhead circled at right.

In your face. In your streams. In Lake Erie.

Dec 4-5 - Hartland Farms "still stinking up the air, other end of Dowling" (Dec 4) - tankers spraying a field black with liquid manure, north end of Dowling Hwy, just south of Beecher Rd. On Friday Dec 5, still spraying, the field is soaked with liquid manure (see photo below). Also Dec. 5, Hartland Farms tankers begin hauling to yet another field on Dowling, 1/2 mi. north of M-34.

12-5-14 - black sprayfield soaked with Hartland Farms liquid manure, along Dowling Hwy south of Beecher Rd.

12-5-14 - Hartland Farms tanker truck pumping liquid manure into field tank-sprayer.

Dec 3 - Hartland Farms still hauling tankers of liquid manure to Dowling Hwy, same as yesterday. Neighbor reports: "really smells terrible along M-34."

Dec 2 - applications ON FROZEN GROUND - deep freeze overnight, temp down to 16º. Milk Source's Hudson Dairy is resuming draglining on the large M-34 & Waldron Rd field. Surface is blackened. Passer-by reports: " still spreading on north side of 34... even in the dark tonight. Looks plastered on to me." Hudson Dairy is also again spreading manure along Egypt Rd. Hartland Farms is hauling manure in tankers to fields along Dowling Hwy, well into dark.

Nov 29 - what a mess, sun & surface thaw today, although ground is STILL FROZEN - Hudson Dairy continues draglining at M-34 and Waldron, blackest field. Hudson Dairy is also spreading solids, one neighbor reports: "On Egypt Rd just west of Elm Rd. At least 5 tractors pulling wagons and spreading solids. Michigan fall colors continue to be BLACK!" Another neighbor says it's "horrendous." All this extreme trucking and hauling from Milk Source's Hudson Dairy, makes people wonder about that new "treatment" system. No reduction in CAFO waste, if Thanksgiving weekend is any indication.

11-29-14 - Hudson Dairy liquid manure draglining continues in Pittsford Twp, black field along Waldron Rd.


11-29-14 - black field from Hudson Dairy solids application, Egypt Rd just west of Elm Rd. Same field below.

Nov 28 - ON FROZEN GROUND - Promises, promises, broken promises. In talks before bringing in cows, Milk Source said it had no intention of applying manure on frozen or snow-covered ground. See County Commissioner Jim Driskell's statement of Milk Source "policy" in Adrian Daily Telegram article, March 16, 2014: "Milk Source has a policy of not spreading manure on snow or frozen ground, he [Driskell] said, a practice of some farmers that has created controversy in Michigan and elsewhere." Hudson Dairy's DEQ CNMP also explicitly states, in three places, they "will not apply any wastes to frozen or snow covered ground as they have plenty of manure storage" (see details). HOWEVER, Milk Source's Hudson Dairy is hauling liquid CAFO waste and draglining on frozen ground, 4 or more tankers, applying on the large field at the NW corner of M-34 and Waldron Rd. Field is black. A grassed waterway cuts through this field, drains to Bean Creek.
11-28-14 - 3 photos below show draglining in progress, ON FROZEN GROUND, along M-34 and Waldron Rd.

Nov 26 - ON FROZEN GROUND - Hudson Dairy spreading CAFO waste w. side of US-127 in Hudson, across from Leffingwell Estates.

Nov 23 - neighbor of Bakerlads manure application reports, "tried to walk through the woods this morning. Stench was horrendous."

Nov 19 - ON FROZEN GROUND - Bakerlads spreading manure west side of Morey Hwy north of Cadmus Rd; also hauling in dumptrucks and stockpiling along Rome Rd west of Glen Hill Hwy.

Nov 18 - ON FROZEN GROUND - fields are frozen now, Bakerlads are applying manure along Cadmus Rd, east and west of Morey Hwy.

Nov 9 - Report from neighbor of Bleich CAFO on US-127 north of Hudson: "Went out to get firewood, had to cover my mouth and nose to protect myself from the putrid gagging odor hanging in the still night air."

Nov 8 - Rain and drizzle. Even so, Hudson Dairy is applying CAFO waste in several locations - draglining at Hartley and Pittsford Rd, thick swaths; also hauling tankers of solids on south side of Packard Rd east of Munson Hwy, just west of Durfee Cr; also applying solids, greenish-brown!, along Dillon Hwy. Bakerlads has been applying, for days this week, on east side of M-156 north of Cadmus, next to the South Branch of the River Raisin.

11-8-14 - Hudson Dairy draglining, extremely thick application, at Hartley & Pittsford Rd.

Nov 7 - Neighbor reports Hudson Dairy applying on Munson Hwy south of Durfee Lake: "Dumping of manure in high amounts. High traffic causing road damage... nausea and headaches ... Dust particles in air cause sore throat. Constant problem as I am surrounded by toxins and pollutants."

Oct 30 - more and more CAFO waste on fields, fertilizing what? with on-coming winter - chance of flurries tomorrow. Milk Source's Hudson Dairy - heavy slurry application south of Donnelly Rd, east side of US-127, next to the wetland to Fisher Lake. Hudson Dairy is also setting up dumpbox and equipment for dragline application, south side of Packard Rd, field adjacent to Durfee Cr (Bean/Tiffin Watershed). Hartland Farms again applying north side of Cadmus Rd east of Hughes, and Bakerlads applying along Cadmus Rd west of Morey.

10-30-14 - Hudson Dairy, dragline spraying black slurry on Donnelly Rd, next to wetland to Fisher Lake.

Oct 29 - manure applications over several townships: in Hudson Twp, Hartland Farms and Bakerlads applying n. side of Cadmus Rd. In Wright Twp, Hillsdale Co, neighbors report Milk Source's Hudson Dairy has been hauling load after load of solids to Tamarack & Tuttle again - so many loads that Tamarack Rd was pitted and impassable to traffic. The Hillsdale County Road Commission worked most of today scraping and grading the road. When they finished in late afternoon, Hudson Dairy was immediately back on it, and kept on hauling until late.

Oct 24 - report from Lime Lake, 1 mi. south of Milk Source's Hudson Dairy: "Slightly putrid last night - VERY PUTRID this morning. Very still morning with hanging fog. It feels as if you can see the stink. Hoping for a west or south wind so we can work outside today. CAFO pollution continues to degrade quality of life for others for the sake of profit."

Oct 22 - Bruinsma CAFO is spraying CAFO waste at 3 locations - reports of horrific stench. Tankers are spraying on Wolfe Rd east of North Morenci Rd, heavy spray, black fields, aerosolization of waste; on Seneca Hwy south of Mulberry Rd, with extreme ponding in the field; and on Ridgeville east of Dodge.

10-22-14 - Bruinsma spraying corn stubble black, on Wolf Rd east of North Morenci Rd.


10-22-14- Another Bruinsma spray-application, Seneca Hwy south of Mulberry Rd, where there's extreme ponding of liquid manure (second photo).

Oct 15 - E. coli test results from Hoffland Farm field runoff Oct 13 at Tomer Rd manure application field: >2,419/100 mL (maximum count from lab's IDEXX process, Adrian Water Plant), more than twice the Michigan Water Standard for partial body contact. DEQ investigated yesterday. Runoff was still flowing Oct 14 to the field edge, into the Bovee & Hubbell Drain, which flows to the South Branch of the River Raisin.
Photo below shows Hoffland manure dragline (orange hose) still lying in the Tomer Rd field on Monday, Oct 13, in rain. And below, site of contaminated runoff Oct 14.



10-14-14 - Hoffland runoff at Tomer Rd, E. coli count at this tile was >2,419/100mL.

Sunday, Oct 12 - "Horrendous." Some of the worst draglining/spewing of liquid CAFO waste we've seen around here - Milk Source's Hudson Dairy is geysering waste into the air from an open-ended dragline hose along Waldron Rd & M-34. A best practice?? Not for neighbors, not for soils, not for water. Rain predicted tonight, tomorrow and Tuesday. The photos show it all: the spewing aerosolization, the black field, the ponding of waste.

Oct 11 - "Feculent CAFO stench from Milk Source...engulfs our farm and house," reports a neighbor near Hudson Dairy's dragline operation today at M-34 & Waldron Rd, directly across from church/school in session. Manure haulers, sometimes 2 at a time, are parked in the roadway. "One of the most beautiful Michigan fall days ruined by this inconsiderate CAFO," the outraged farmer says. "It's a good time to quit the farming business. No way can you grow good food in this environment." Hudson Dairy is also continuing waste application at Tamarack & Tuttle. Elsewhere, Hartland Farms is draglining SE corner of Beecher & Hughes, with no applicator - just spewing/spraying liquid waste.

10--11-14 - Hudson Dairy dump box in the field, manure tankers on Waldron Rd across from church/school.

10-11-14 - Hartland Farms draglining liquid CAFO waste, no applicator, just spraying/spewing.

Oct 10 - Stench-to-be, and more: Hoffland Dairy CAFO has its dragline system set up this afternoon, liquid manure hauled in, driver in the seat, ready to go at M-156 and Tomer Rd, a large field from M-156 to Wheeler. Hudson Dairy has started set-up at M-34 and Waldron Rd, with Fry Bros (Ohio) truck and brand new dump box, on a cut soy bean field - first time this field has been used for liquid CAFO waste. Elsewhere, Hudson Dairy hauling solids to SE field at Tamarack & Tuttle, same field draglined earlier this season. Medina Dairy draglining nearly complete on Packard west of Dillon, near Durfee Cr.

10-10-14 - Hudson Dairy draglining set-up, M-34 & Waldron Rd, with Fry Bros (OH) truck and new, filthy-to-be dump box.

Sept 29 - Hartland Farms still hauling in loads of CAFO waste to the stockpiles at M-34 and Dowling, while also front-end-loading and spreading waste from Sept 24-25, black on the field. No incorporation. Several reports of terrible emissions, especially south of M-34 on Childs Hwy: "Stench was quite overwhelming all afternoon and into the evening at M-34 near Childs Hwy. A resident ... complained of a strong odor in her house. I was working outside and the stench turned from a strong dusty manure smell in daylight hours to a completely overwhelming ammonia smell after dark. It was bad enough to make work outside difficult, eventually causing me to stop work and go home." Another report from Childs Hwy of "horrible, gagging, throat burning, putrid stench from manure application on field."

Sept 27 - 8 a.m. report: "Strong CAFO waste emissions. No wind. Just hanging in the air. Suspect it's coming from the Hudson Dairy Factory Farm located less than 1 mile north."

Sept 25 - Trucks still dumping Hartland Farms CAFO waste in heaps, same field as yesterday. Longer and longer stockpile. Reports coming in about Milk Source's Hudson Dairy draglining, spraying, applying all over the place: hauling solids to the field next to the Prattville lagoon, south of Prattville Road west of Seeley Road; also hauling on Tamarack; disking application south side of Squawfield west of US-127; draglining field NW corner of intersection M-34 and Elm Rd - stench reported 3 miles away; irrigator north of the facility on the west side of US-127 was running at night on cut hay ground.

9-25-14 - truckloads of Hartland Farms CAFO waste in field along M-34 and Dowling, east of the City of Hudson.

Sept 24 - First thing this morning, semi-trucks are dumping Hartland Farms CAFO waste at M-34 and Dowling Hwy, heaps in the middle of the field. With variable breeze, strong emissions are reaching M-34 and west towards the City of Hudson, and north a mile or more along Dowling Hwy. At 7:45 p.m., passerby reports, trucks still hauling and stockpiling into the dark.

Sept 13 - Report from Lime Lake area, less than 1 mi. south of Milk Source's Hudson Dairy: "Slight NNE wind is bringing suspected CAFO building or waste lagoon emissions. It does not smell like a field application of waste, but more like a chemical odor. Instant headache resulted."

Sept 6 - "Unbearable" emissions from Hartland Farms draglining, same field as Aug 9-11 below. ECCSCM received a long email of outrage and concern for residents: "The worst liquid manure emissions I've experienced in 14 years. Clearly this manure application will harm anyone who breathes it for many minutes. Like sucking in the bottom of a liquid manure pit. Dizziness and nausea hit me immediately. I parked in a neighbor's driveway and got out only to retreat back into the car. The liquid manure emissions applied to fields across from [residences] were unbearable. This is immoral, dangerous and a human rights violation."

Sept 2 - Hartland Farms is draglining in heavy rain along Beecher west of Morey, the open-ended line spewing liquid maure onto the field.

Aug 29 - Hartland Farms setting up draglining operation at same field as Aug 7-11. Still no response from MDARD concerning their investigaton of that episode three weeks ago.

Aug 26 - "Gagging putrid odor this morning" from Bleich CAFO.

Aug 19 - 7:45 pm - Report: "Putrid stench after a nice late summer rain," from Bleich CAFO, corner of Stewart and US-127.

Aug 12 - Milk Source's Hudson Dairy is back on the road with tankers, dump box and dragline, along Tamarack Rd to Tuttle again - a foul intersection for neighbors this last week, with draglining liquid CAFO waste on fields to the north/south/east/west. Hartland Farms waste along Beecher got drenched in rain yesterday. Still no incorporation, after 5 days, in areas over Miller Tile, which flows to South Branch of the River Raisin.

Aug 7-11 - "Horrendous" emissions over many square miles from Hartland Farms waste applications the last 4 days along Beecher Rd, one draglining area west of Morey Hwy and another further west at the intersection of Beecher and Hughes Hwy. Numerous reports to ECCSCM about the stench from neighbors with headaches, nausea, sore throats, burning sinuses. Many people had to close windows Thurs (Aug 7), Fri, Sat nights. Several people had to leave their homes. Friday morning: very calm wind, fog hanging in low places. The bad air is hanging like that, all around, surrounding houses, surrounding people. With small children and elderly in this area exposed to the emissions, there is serious concern for public health. MDARD notified, DEQ Air Division notified, also Lenawee County Health Department. Update: Saturday Aug 9 – The stench is still overwhelming near the field sites, and is noticeable miles away, reports from as far west at Hudson City limits along Munson Hwy. Neighbors near the manure fields report, again, "can't open the windows, no air conditioning ... can't go outside." Symptoms reported include coughing, sinuses plugged, eyes watering. "Nausea, headache. We are prisoners in our home." Extreme emissions continue, Monday Aug 11.

NOTE on 8-8-14 from local R.N.: "I received a distress call around 9am from a neighbor north of Hartland farm liquid manure applications spread on Beecher and Hughes Hwy. Upon my arrival around 10am wind had shifted briefly and stench/emissions lessened during my visit but apparently had been very bad all night long. I noted respiratory problems due to emissions. Other reports of distress from neighbors on Beecher Rd. who had to leave homes last evening also with physical symptoms brought on by liquid manure applications for last 3-4 days."

8-8-14 - Hartland Farms draglining operation, still going around 2:00 p.m., field on Beecher just west of Morey.
SE part of the field near the road is drenched with liquid manure, no sign of incorporation, stench is sickening.

Aug 7 - Intense emissions for miles around Hartland Farms draglining operations along Beecher Rd - just west of Morey Hwy today; and manure from last 2 days further west on Beecher at Hughes, still unincorporated. Driver on Beecher reports, "Smells bad all the way out Beecher...to Posey Lake."


8-7-14- Hartland Farms draglining along Beecher west of Morey Hwy; and previous dragline still in place at Beecher & Hughes, manure not incorporated.

Aug 6 - Neighbors report strong emissions south of Milk Source's Hudson Dairy facility, "bad enough to force the closing of windows - no detectible wind." Hartland Farms still applying manure, same field as yesterday.

Aug 5 - Hartland Farms draglining along Beecher Rd east of Hughes - "stench is overpowering and can be smelled for at least 2 miles east," a driver reports. Afternoon of intermittent light rain.

8-5-12 - Hartland Farms draglining liquid manure without applicator, just spewing from the rear, Beecher Rd.

Aug 2 - Reports of "extreme stench the last 3 days" from Hartland Farms waste application on Cadmus Rd east of Hughes. Stench for several miles around, including this morning.

July 29 - Hudson Dairy hauling tankers of CAFO waste to dump box and draglining at intersection of Tamarack & Tuttle.

July 28 - Note below: 1) Dust Bowl, 2) spray-irrigation into neighbor's woods. Major particulate emissions today, blowing from Medina Dairy field applicaton of slurry/solids on Gallup Rd field. No incorporation, no crop. Dust from manure application fields can carry fecal matter as well as large and small particulates which can aggravate asthma, reach the lungs and cause respiratory problems, other health symptoms.


7-28-14 - Gallup Rd dust, particulate emissions from Medina Dairy waste application.

Also today, July 28, Medina Dairy is spray-irrigating east of the facility on Ingall Hwy, with end-spray from the travel irrigator shooting into the trees of a neighbor's woods (same as July 21). Elsewhere, Milk Source's Hudson Dairy is spray-irrigating east of the facility along US-127 north of Donelly Rd, and on (yes, AGAIN) the Elm Rd alfalfa field. Hudson Dairy is also hauling multiple tankers 15 miles south, back and forth, into Ohio again, draglining a field on Ohio County Hwy S, 1/2 mi. south of Country Rd 21.50.

7-28-14 - Milk Source's Medina Dairy end-sprayer hitting a neighbor's woodlot, trees, Ingall Hwy.

7-28-14 - Hudson Dairy tankers lined up in Ohio field, 15 miles from the facility; and draglining CAFO waste there on cut wheat field.

July 25 - Intensive CAFO waste application, more repeat applications on the same fields: bad emissions ("it stinks!") from Medina Dairy slurry/solids application on the Gallup Rd field again, thick and black, with a trail of manure clots from the haulers on Packard Rd; Hudson Dairy spray-irrigating the Elm Rd alfalfa field again, more than 20 times and still counting; Hudson Dairy also spraying waste through travel irrigator across from the facility, east side of US-127 - again. Hoffland Dairy is spray-irrigating east side of Wheeler north of the facility.

7-25-14 - Medina Dairy slurry/solids application, thick on the Gallup field, and (right) trail of manure clots on Packard Rd.

July 24 -Multiple CAFO waste applications again today - all sites noted here are in the Maumee River/Lake Erie Watershed. Milk Source's Hudson Dairy is hauling over the border into Williams Co, Ohio (see photo here), draglining a field south side of Territorial Rd/Ohio Rd T at (OH) County Rd 21.50 - at least 4 tankers hauling to the dump box. Hudson Dairy is also spray-applying here in Michigan, on the Elm Rd. alfalfa field (same as the last 4 days). Milk Source's Medina Dairy is hauling slurry solids via Packard Rd - dust is terrible - to the (previously applied) Gallup Rd field - thick "jet black" application; and also spray-applying CAFO waste along Dillon Hwy, both sides.

7-24-14 - Medina Dairy, slurry solids surface-applied, Packard/Ingall/Gallup Rd field, no crop; also spray-irrigating CAFO waste along Dillon Hwy (Bean/Tiffin/Maumee Watershed).

July 23 - Several emissions reports today. From Yankee Rd & Camburn, Lenawee Co, MI: "Absolutely putrid odor. [They] start spreading liquid animal waste at 6am and finish at 6pm every day for the last 5-6 days. Appears to be coming from Oakshade Dairy in Lyons, OH." Another report from the southeast corner of Lime Lake, Hillsdale Co, less than 3/4 of a mile directly south of Hudson Dairy's animal waste lagoons: "The wind is shifting today. Every time the wind direction comes from the north the windows must be closed." Hudson Dairy is spray-applying on the Elm Rd alfalfa field again. And from Wolf Creek Hwy northwest of Adrian, "Terrehavan facility smells bad all the way to the golf course."

July 20 - 22 - Repeat applications: add 3 more days to list of CAFO waste-application days on the Elm Rd alfalfa field - Milk Source's Hudson Dairy spraying again on Sun July 20, Mon July 21, and Tues, July 22 through the travel irrigator. "They ought to be getting enough on there pretty soon!" says a nearby resident. Also on July 21, Hudson Dairy returned its dragline operation to the same field as July 8-10, at the corner of M-34 and Elm Rd, just west of the City of Hudson. Medina Dairy spray-irrigating south of the facility on Ingall, with part of the spray hitting trees in a woodlot, not the field.

7-21-14 - End-spray from Medina Dairy irrigator hitting the trees, not the field.

July 18 - Multiple sites of Milk Source CAFO waste application today. Medina Dairy still running tankers to the field on Gallup, first reported on July 16. Resident in the area reports "...manure trucks hauling manure going down Packard for at least 3 days if not more. Tearing road up so that it is a sand pit now... Grass on our property covered with thick coat of dust/ brown." Medina Dairy draglining continues, as yesterday, at Canandaigua and Ingall. Hudson Dairy is once again spray-irrigating CAFO waste on the Elm Rd alfalfa field - the list of waste-application-days there is getting very long. Spraying continued all day, "went on for 9-10 hrs," a neighbor reported. Three reports received on emissions along Elm Rd: "it's not clean water," "nasty," and "it's very foul here this afternoon." Hudson Dairy is also spray-irrigating CAFO waste north of the facility, west side of US-127 as well as east side of US-127. Elsewhere today, "stench was bad west of Terrehaven...piling silage."

7-18-14 - Hudson Dairy spray-irrigating CAFO waste on the alfalfa field on Elm Rd, yet again.

July 17 - Milk Source's Medina Dairy draglining field at Canandaigua and Ingall Hwy. Passerby reports, "it was very strong...very sour and nasty...my sinuses burn."

July 16 - Neighbors of Bleich Dairy CAFO report intense emissions from the facility "every night after 10" recently. "It's really really really rank, like they've sucked out the bottom of the lagoon." New Flevo Dairy stockpiling again. Medina Dairy hauling, draglining on the same field on Gallup Rd where Hudson Dairy tankers caused road damage on Memorial Day weekend.

7-16-14 - New Flevo Dairy dumping CAFO waste in piles in the field at facility, Forrister Rd.

July 11 - Closed down today: Hudson Dairy's draglining operation at Elm Rd & M-34 the last three days, with several tankers hauling to a dumpbox. Starting up: new dumpbox & draglining on Munson Hwy east of Hudson; also spray-irrigating CAFO waste across from the facility on US-127, north of Donnelly Rd.

7-10-14 - Hudson Dairy dumpbox, tanker and dragline reel; and draglined field at Elm & M-34.

7-11-14 - Hudson Dairy spray-irrigating CAFO waste across from facility on US-127, north of Donnelly Rd.

July 10 - Neighbors report "Silage has stunk for three days" from Hartland Farms. Workers at one house commented on how bad it smelled.

7-10-14 - Hartland Farms is also spreading solids, swaths through the alfalfa field at Dowling Hwy & Cadmus Rd.

July 7 - Stench and emissions are in the air today. Driver reports, "Stench on U.S. 127 right in front of Hudson Dairy, drifting southeast. It's ba-a-a-ck. Unfortunately." Another driver reported Hudson Dairy trucks lined up for draglining at M-34 and Elm Rd. Also, Milk Source's Medina Dairy is spraying dark manure water through travel irrigators on fields east and west sides of Dillon Hwy at the CAFO facility. Bakerlads CAFO applying manure at corner of Morey Hwy and Cadmus Rd. Stench reported in other locations, including Halliwill CAFO northwest of Adrian and Marvin Farms at Beecher and M-34.

7-7-14 - Medina Dairy spray-irrigating manure along Dillon Hwy

7-7-14 - Hudson Dairy draglining at M-34 and Elm Rd, with narrow treeline, narrow buffer along ditch/tributary of Bean Cr.

July 6 - Neighbors report Hudson Dairy spray-irrigating the Elm Rd alfalfa field for the umpteenth time.

July 3 - Neighbors report heavy manure-tanker truck traffic from Hudson Dairy south on US-127 to Donelly Rd to Acker Hwy manure application field, returning on Packard Rd. At least 4 tankers were running, sometimes parked on Acker road edge, waiting to pump liquid manure into a dump box in the field.

7-3-14 - Hudson Dairy manure tanker on Acker Rd, waiting to unload liquid manure.

June 30 - Video: Milk Source's Hudson Dairy is spray-irrigating manure on alfalfa field on Elm Rd, for at least the 12th time. A windy day, with spray and bioaerosols drifting.

REASONS TO BE CONCERNED with MANURE IRRIGATION (from Univ. of Wisconsin Extension)
• The full extent of health and quality of life risks are unknown and potentially severe.
• Health concerns that aerosol spray drift from manure irrigation could carry pathogens, particulates, antibiotics, endocrine disruptors, cleaning compounds, toxic gases (hydrogen sulfide and ammonia), and ‘super bacteria’ including LA-MRSA. Concerns that contaminants could affect the general population and especially those with compromised immune systems and elderly; concerns that those negative health effects could be magnified because aerosols penetrate lungs and carry toxins to the bloodstream more directly than if ingested.
• Quality of life concerns, reinforced by reports from people who have complained of worsening respiratory health, poor air quality, increased airborne particulates, odor, and contamination of their property as a result of nearby manure irrigation.
• The potential for contamination of surface water and wells from irrigation application, especially in areas where access to groundwater is more direct such as in sandy soil or karst. There are concerns about runoff from precipitation events after manure irrigation application.
• Groundwater quantity concerns that manure irrigation might use excessive amounts of groundwater resources and may draw down wells.
• There are concerns that existing and future setbacks will be inadequate to protect neighbors, surface waterways, and crops in nearby fields.
• There are concerns that monitoring implementation of manure irrigation practices would be difficult and impractical.

June 26, 27, 29 - Neighbors report, yet again, Milk Source's Hudson Dairy CAFO spray-irrigating liquid manure at least three more times - Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. The same Elm Rd alfalfa field that's been spray-applied repeatedly since early May (see entries below).

June 19 - Heavy rains. NFD stockpiles still not spread or incorporated.

June 17 - Milk Source's Hudson Dairy CAFO is spray-irrigating manure AGAIN, at least the 8th time, on the hay field west of the facility, along Elm Rd at Tamarack Rd. Manure-spraying was first observed at this field and photographed May 6 (see photo below on this page); neighbors reported at least 7 other days of spray-irrigation, including today. No incorporation required on hay fields. No stench relief for neighbors.

also June 17 - New Flevo Dairy CAFO is dumping, stockpiling manure in field at the facility, also spray-irrigating manure east of the facility, and surface-applying liquid manure at Forrister & Posey Lake, both north and south sides. E&R trucks and Halliwill CAFO also trucking manure to Halliwill field at Townley and Burton.

6-17-14 - New Flevo CAFO dumping, stockpiling manure at the facility on Forrister Rd.

June 4 - Emissions reported east of Hartland Farms CAFO from manure application yesterday; manure was incorporated, but stench is still there. Hoffland Farms is running tankers of liquid manure to fields north of Lake Hudson, north of Tomer Rd, applying in the rain.

6-4-14 - Hoffland CAFO applying liquid manure in the rain, north of Lake Hudson.

May 27 - Milk Source's Medina Dairy CAFO is hauling manure solids north of Hudson along US-127, pushing the manure around with a dozer, in the rain, in a field not included in their Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan.

5-27-14 - rain has moved in, but dozer is still pushing Medina CAFO manure around the field.

May 26 - Bleich CAFO facility emissions continue. Near-by resident writes that the bedroom window had to be closed because of "Bleich dairy's putrid lagoon stench, a nightly routine.

May 24 - A holiday weekend, stench is awful along Morey Hwy west of Hoffland CAFO facility.

May 23 - Lenawee County Stinkfest: intense emissions from Terrehaven manure application at Lenawee Hills & Hunt Rd, many Adrian residences across the road, all around; also at Marvin Farms, stench along Beecher Rd just west of the M-34 split; and even worse stench further west along Beecher near Hughes Hwy at Hartland Farms.

May 22 - Email received about "terrible stench from manure today in the area behind Siena Heights [University]" on the north side of Adrian. CAFO fields so close to town? In western Lenawee Co, Hartland Farms is spray-gunning putrid liquid, silage leachage?, with spray drifting, on corn stubble on west side of Hughes Hwy north of the facility. One neighbor had to close all windows; another said the smell was terrible a mile away.

5-22-14 - Hartland Farms spraying from pivot "big gun."

May 9 - Warm 85º day, neighbor not far from Bleich CAFO writes at 1:15 a.m. - "Stinks pretty bad outside right now, wouldn't want to stand outside for more than a minute. It's warm and muggy, the air is still."

May 6 - Milk Source CAFO is spray-irrigating manure east of the Hudson Dairy facility on US-127 and also west of the facility along Elm Rd. Gusty east winds are carrying the emissions far off-site. Incredible stench for neighbors downwind. Also stench from manure application on Acker Hwy.

5-6-14 - Milk Source manure spraying through irrigator near Elm Rd neighbors.

May 3 - Hartland Farms using big gun sprayer west of the facility on Hughes Hwy. Winds are blowing at 20mph, with gusts to 30mph – stench of silage leachate is overwhelming downwind.

5-3-14 - Hartland gun-spraying sialge leachate west of facility on Hughes Hwy.

May 1 - Spewing, spewing liquid manure – "isn't it lovely...," writes a driver passing by. Hoffland Farms CAFO dragline is unplugged, no applicator, no incorporation. Aerosolized fecal pollutants. Manure ponding in the field. Just unadulterated spewing!

All photos May 1, 2014, Hoffland CAFO

4-24-14 - Multiple manure applications today; with gusty and shifting winds, many neighbors are feeling it, suffering CAFO emissions. New Flevo CAFO is draglining liquid manure in 2 locations – along Rome Rd east of Glen Hill Hwy, with 6 semi-tankers hauling back & forth; also draglining at Wilkinson and Hoddinot, both sides of the road. In Hudson Township, horrendous emissions from Hartland Farms CAFO manure application on a sloping field, drains to Bear Crk, corner of Cadmus Rd and Hughes Hwy. Neighbors downwind report eye-watering, "hair-stinking" emissions; it's really overpowering, just driving by.

April 24, 2014 - Fierce emissions from this Hartland Farms manure application, Cadmus & Hughes.

April 22 - Bleich CAFO draglining field across from the facility, east side of US-127. Drivers can't miss the stench.

3-1-14 - Stinks along Morey Hwy from Bakerlads black manure on snow, upslope of South Branch of River Raisin.

3-1-14 - Warner manure on snow-covered fields, Pentecost Hwy, close-up


2-25-14 - Warner manure on snow-covered fields, Pentecost Hwy.

2-20-14 - rain falling on Bakerlads CAFO manure application, Cadmus Rd


2-20-14 - rain on Hartland Farms CAFO manure, on snow-covered, frozen fields, Cadmus Rd

Feb 19 - with sudden warm-up, and significant rain in the forecast, Hartland Farms CAFO is applying manure on snow, not a safe practice.

Feb 4 - Hartland Farms still applying manure on snow.

2-4-14 - Hartland Farms manure on snow & frozen ground, Beecher & Hughes Hwy.

Jan 31 - winter application of CAFO manure continues: Hartland Farms; and Bleich CAFO, along US-127 north of the facility.

1-31-14 - Hartland Farms application of manure on snow-covered ground, Beecher & Hughes Hwy.

1-31-14 - Bleich Dairy CAFO manure along US-127 north of Forrister Rd.

2013

Dec 30 - yep, no change in winter application of manure. With no consideration of neighbors at the holidays, no consideration of the goopy ground, freezing up fast with temps dropping fast, 17º this morning, Bakerlads is applying liquid manure along Cadmus Rd east of Morey.

Dec 19 - Hartland Farms CAFO applying manure on snow-covered ground, south of Beecher Rd, west of Hughes Hwy - before predicted thaw.

Nov 16 - Before predicted storms and heavy rain, Hartlands Farms draglining on fields north and south of Cadmus Rd, east of Hughes. Fields are black with liquid manure.

Black manure field off Cadmus Rd, Hartland Farms draglining

Nov 15 - Neighbor near White Farm reports, "AGAIN very strong smell of pig poo around the 127 Prattville rd area..ugh."

Nov 13 - Hartland Farms is draglining, liquid manure on snow, on corn stubble, 1/2 mi south of Beecher east of Hughes Hwy.

Oct 27 - Neighbor reports emissions from Bleich Dairy, "Nauseating, putrid, gagging stench upon arrival home after work."

Oct 7 - Extreme emissions over several days from Hartland Farms. (See Oct 3 below) Hydrogen Sulfide readings on 2 days at a neighbor's home show severe, chronic exposure, a risk to health. This is the neighbor transported Oct 5 by ambulance to hospital with "extreme stress in breathing." New Mexico, New York, and Kentucky have 1-hour air standards for Hydrogen Sulfide of 10 ppb. This is 1,200 ppb inside a residence! The World Health Organization recommends exposure no higher than 10.6ppb over a 24-hr period. Where can neighbors go to breathe safe air? If not in their own homes?

Lower number shows Hydrogen Sulfide level on 10-4-13 at 0.7ppm (700ppb) next to Hartland Farms manure field; on 10-7-13, Hydrogen Sulfide reaches 1.2ppm (1,200ppb) inside a neighbor's house.

Oct 5 - Neighbor of Hartland Farms, ill and living next to manure application (see Oct. 3) was taken by ambulance to the emergency room with "extreme stress in breathing." Still awful at Bleich CAFO, with details from a neighbor: "Went out after work to check on the animals, couldn't wait to get back inside as the putrid odor from Bleich Dairy was nauseating."

Oct 4 - Report from neighbor of Bleich Dairy: "Putrid, gagging, very strong urine ammonia, stench... Couldn't wait to unlock the front door and escape into the house."

Oct 3 - A Registered Nurse and ECCSCM volunteer visited neighbors in distress from Hartland Farms manure application. This account was sent to MDARD and DEQ:

"On Thursday afternoon Oct. 3rd. I took an hour off of work to answer a distress call from Hartland Farm's neighbors. I was standing on the property line of Hartland Farm's very sick neighbor... when Hartland farms swung around with the manure hauler and started plastering the heavy solids, literally in our faces, not a 100 feet away. [Neighbor] was on his way to a radiation treatment, a daily event. He was showing some improvement in his health until Hartland plastered thick, bottom of the manure pit “solids” right next to [Neighbor]'s house. From my inspection on all the fields observed, the heaviest applications were right next to [Neighbor]'s house, where his car is, where he has to somehow get from a wheelchair to the passenger seat of a car every day to go for treatment. In public health, [Neighbor] is known as the “frail elderly”. A life long farmer forced to spend his last days trying to breathe. I am a nurse. I was trying to breathe too. [Neighbor]'s son stood beside me, showing signs of respiratory distress. [Neighbor] went on to his appointment with another family member. His son and I watched as Hartland swung around right in our faces and began applying close to the property line again.I had to end my conversation with his son as I was getting sick and putting him at risk by standing there while we both were sucking it in.

My car smelled horrific. My clothes smelled like they had been dragged through a septic tank.

In a house to the east are [Neighbor]'s great grandchildren, a toddler and a kindergartner. I stopped by to assess how they were doing. One has to have breathing treatments and was home Thursday. Every member of the family I spoke to on Thursday was sick from respiratory problems, severe enough to require a doctor's intervention, in my opinion caused from the heavy manure applications from Hartland Farms. In the rain even.

On my way home from Adrian that night, Thursday night -9pm- I drove by [Neighbor]'s house again. In the car with the fan blowing in air – it was 71 F and humid - I again was unable to breathe, the toxic smelling manure and fumes enveloped the car for a mile and a half on Beecher Rd. but were the worst at [Neighbor]'s home. I turned off the fan and made sure the windows were up. The manure fumes hung in the car. [Neighbor] and his family have been breathing this poison air for about 12 hours at that point.
On my way home from the Farmer's market today (Sat Oct 5th about 5pm)after a heavy rain, I again went by [Neighbor]'s home and the stench still hangs in the air. That's 3 days. Hartland farms has 2400 acres to spread “the solids” but chooses to plaster the heaviest, thickest, worst animal sewerage, next to his very sick elderly neighbor.
What if this was your family? Your father. What would you do?"

Oct 2 - Today's manure emissions – north, south, east, and west – show the environmental justice issue many ag areas face. Manure emissions harm children, the frail elderly, neighbors who can't afford to move or sell out. Where's the justice? when CAFOs can pollute the air with impunity, and the poor and weak are the ones who suffer. Emissions are awful along US-127 at Bleich CAFO. From Stewart Rd south past Culbert, fields on both sides of US-127 "stink godawful, it burns your eyes." Hartland Farms is applying on several fields along Beecher Rd: west of Hughes Hwy, where solids were spread earlier, now black slurry; east of Hughes on the south side; and further to the east around the old Grange hall. It's a calm, foggy morning, the stench is awful in these locations. Neighbors report "watery itchy eyes, burning sinues." Rain is forecast for the next 4 days.

Sept 4 - on another beautiful day, neighbors on Beecher got hit with terrible emissions from another angle, another field with Hartland Farms manure, this time at the corner of Beecher and Dowling.

Sept 4 - Hartland Farms black manure field at the corner of Beecher and Dowling Hwy.

Sept 3 - Hartland Farms stench along Beecher Rd between Posey Lake Hwy and Dowling Hwy. Horrible emissions off the field.

Sept 3 - Hartland Farm manure field along Beecher Rd west of Posey Lake Hwy

Aug 29 - "Ick poo gag" is the message – Hartland Farms manure at the corner of Beecher and Dowling.

Aug 19 - intense emissions at Bleich CAFO. A neighbor reports, "When I opened the front door to leave for work this morning I was slapped in the face and nose by a horrible gagging manure stench."

Aug 9-12 - serious Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) emissions from Hartland Farms manure application, Beecher Rd & Henning Hwy. The new Drager 2000 H2S meter registered 1.0 ppm (= 1,000 ppb) this afternoon, far above the 1-hour air standard in 13 states. Michigan has no air standard for H2S. New Mexico, New York, and Kentucky have 1-hour air standards of 10 ppb. This is 1,000 ppb! 100 times worse.

Aug 9 - Drager meter near Hartland Farms manure spraying; top number 19.1 is percent Oxygen; second number 1.0 is H2S parts per milliion.

Aug 8 - email to ECCSCM reports Briskey tankers spraying somebody's liquid manure (New Flevo? Warner?) on wheat stubble along the Halsted Drain, Shepherd Hwy. "It's gonna be an eye-watering, headache-y night for the neighbors."

August 8 - Briskey tanker spewing liquid manure near Halsted Drain, Shepherd Hwy

Aug 5 - extreme eye-watering emissions for neighbors downwind from Hartland Farms liquid manure west of Morey Hwy on Cadmus Rd, same site as yeserday, multiple tankers hauling & pumping all day into the dump box and draglinging onto the field.

August 5 - Stench from Hartland Farms draglining manure along Cadmus Rd, about 1/2 mi. west of Morey Hwy.

July 29 - The ECCSCM water monitoring team on Tamarack Rd reports intense emissions from White Farms CAFO - stench coming from 3/4 mi. away, from the pig barns at the corner of Tamarack and Coman. Residents across the road from the barns must suffer this stench constantly; the barn ventilation fans blow their way – gasses, aerosolized particulates, etc.

July 23 - Bleich CAFO is hauling liquid manure and draglining in the rain this morning west from the facility, north side of Stewart Rd. Application in the rain is a violation of the CAFO permit. Also applying NE corner of Culbert and Gardner.

July 16 - 90+ degree heat continues, with "extreme stench" reported at Forrister Rd and Posey Lake Hwy from New Flevo liquid application on cut hay ground. Another email to ECCSCM also reported the emissions: "Quite a bad odor that made me glad I was just driving through. There appeared to be some equipment in the field but it was dark. The odor was bad. I'm not sure how bad because when you drive through like that, your reaction is to just stop breathing until you've passed through it."

July 15 - in 90+ degree heat, this message from a Bleich CAFO neighbor: "Ok, my patience has run out today, 4 hours of putrid stench from Bleich dairy is enough for me. The heat is bad enough and then add stench to it, sickening!"

July 6 - On a holiday weekend, "serious stench" from Terrehaven CAFO manure along Forrister Rd., Adrian, was reported to ECCSCM. "Observed Terrehaven semi dump truck leaving the field after dumping its load onto the manure piles. As this truck was leaving, the Terrehaven poop wagon was arriving to spread manure slurry in another part of the field...Odor is awful, hope the folks across the street don't have any outdoor plans for this beautiful 4th of July holiday weekend evening because they're going to be stuck indoors! ...Looks like Wolf Creek takes another hit because weather forecasters say rain is on the way." And in the evening, the resident emailed that as predicted, "thunderstorms came through a few hours later."

June 28 - powerful rains in Adrian the last two afternoons. ECCSCM received this message about emissions from Terrehaven CAFO, concern for run-off: "Eye-watering, breathtaking stench at Terrehaven on Wolf Creek/Hunt Rds. in Adrian tonight. You can get a whiff of it as far south as Adrian College. A large amount of runoff after all this rain is going from the silage piles and the barns straight across the street, down into the swale and then the drain. I feel so sorry for the neighbors in the subdivision across the street and also in the cul-de-sac just to the east, all people whose homes were there before Terrehaven expanded to a CAFO. It's horrible there tonight, just like it is so many nights and days."

June - 7 - Nobody's outside, that's for sure. Hartland Farms dragline is undone at far end near Cadmus Rd; liquid manure has pooled in some places along Hughes Hwy, and emissions are fierce in the area.

June 7 - dragline unhooked before the culvert on Cadmus; (right) black manure slope along Hughes, awful stench.

June 6 - several neighbors and passers-by report that Hartland Farms has laid a dragline from the lagoons at the CAFO facility across the field to Beecher Rd east of Hughes Hwy, and then UNDER Beecher for surface application of liquid manure – but then keep going, across fields to Cadmus Rd, UNDER Cadmus Rd for more spray-application. One neighbor says, "not sure how we will be able to go outside tomorrow, or weekend. This is pathetic!"

June 6 - Hartland Farms draglining

May 31 - Rain is on the radar, moving this way in the next half hour, and the chance of significant rainfall is too high for any manure application by CAFOs. CAFO permits specify weather conditions when manure application is prohibited; non-CAFOs are advised to "avoid application" in such conditions. However, Marvin's Dairy is hauling manure east on M-34 to the golf-driving range location; and Bakerlads Dairy is out there draglining across the South Branch of the River Raisin.

May 30 - Neighbor reports, "Bleich Dairy's tractors are working their field on Stewart Road and 127 and kicking up a wind blown stench into our front yard where I was working in the garden. I had to go into the house when the odor started to burn my nose and throat."

May 29 - "Very strong stench tonight" from Bleich CAFO. Neighbors "had to close all the windows on this very hot humid night."

May 17 - Setting Things Up For a Bad Weekend - Hartland Farms is putting out draglines at two locations along Beecher Rd. The lines, still deflated, go through culverts under Beecher Rd. They'll pump manure from the lagoon, kinky umbilical cords to distant fields. It's a beautiful day, good weekend for EVERYONE to work outside, EXCEPT if their CAFO neighbor is pumping and spraying liquid manure.

May 17 - dragline from the lagoon to Beecher Rd (distant green mound is the earthen wall of the manure lagoon), with pumping station set up.

May 17 - dragline coming out from under Beecher Rd, headed away. Several neighbors are in the line of fire.

May 16 - Another report about Bleich: "Noticed a haze across 127. When driving through the haze, its seemed more like a wet mist which had a stench."

May 15 - Several reports of "putrid stench"from Bleich Dairy in the middle of the night: "Went to bed with the windows open last night only to wake up to a horrible putrid stench that filled the room. I got up and slept with a handkerchief over my mouth and nose for the rest of the night." And another: "It's quite common to notice a farm stench from Bleich Dairy, even an odor as bad as this one on occasion. But this came through the window, waking me from a sound sleep. A very putrid, sickening stench." Later in the evening of May 15, another: "Noticed a haze across 127. When driving through the haze, its seemed more like a wet mist which had a stench."

May 14 - New Flevo is draglining liquid manure from tankers on Whig Hwy north of M-34.

May 11 - Hoffland Farms is spraying fields adjacent to Lake Hudson on Lake Hudson Recreation Area land. If you go to hike or fish, hold your nose! Who said yes, it makes sense to spray liquid manure across from a public beach? Who said yes, it makes sense to stink out campers from a state campground? One visitor to Lake Hudson said it was hard to believe, "eye-watering air all the way across the lake to the picnic area and the beach area."

May 11, 2013 - Lake Hudson State Recreation Area, a dumping ground – the lake lies behind those trees. Hoffland Farms is spraying and stinking the public's air.

May 11, 2013 - Hoffland Farms liquid manure is ponding in the fields next to Lake Hudson.

April 29 - How many things are wrong with this picture? ECCSCM received this photo of a side-facility of Warner Farms, corner of Pentecost and Reed, with a foul pile of silage/manure/cows. Photographer suggested a "heap" of ideas for captions:

"Climb every mountain!" "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." "How to Make a Mountain Out of a Mole----, no, Manure Heap." "The Bear, ooops, Cow Went Over the Mountain." "Poop - It's What's for Dinner!"

April 25 - New Flevo draglining in rain today, same location next to Devil's Lake.

4-25-13 - dump box for New Flevo liquid manure, draglining near Devil's Lake, in rain.

April 23 - New Flevo STILL draglining at yesterday's site, with rain moving in from the west, significant rainfall predicted.

April 22 - New Flevo CAFO is draglining near Devil's Lake on Manitou Rd; semis hauling in liquid to the dumpbox. Report to ECCSCM says, "Emissions are very bad."

April 15 - Message from near Bleich CAFO: "Nauseating stench lingering in the air tonight, guess I will not sit outside and enjoy the sounds of the peepers and look up at the stars. House bound again."

March 6 - Ground is still snow-covered, but thaw has begun. And CAFOs are on the move with manure haulers and trucks. These conditions pose extreme risk for runoff and pollution of streams in many locations. These black manure fields are Warner application along Pentecost Hwy.

3-6-13 Warner manure application on slope, Pentecost Hwy, Franklin Twp

3-6-13 More Warner manure on Pentecost

March 5 - Hartland Farms applying manure, Beecher Rd east of Dowling. Ponding of runoff is visible in low area draining toward Beecher.


3-5-13 Hartland Farms manure runoff, field along Beecher Rd east of Dowling.

Jan 2 - Wintry days in the new year, snow on fields, frozen ground. Winter application is not recommended (any sunlight, thaw, can lead to overland runoff or manure draining to tile inlets and flowing to streams). Even so, manure is being applied to frozen fields at several locations: Bakerlads applying strips of manure at Cadmus and Morey, west of the facility as well as a strip east of the facility. Hartland Farms applied manure in strips south of the facility, at Beecher and Hughes.

2012

Dec 12 - A neighbor near Bleich CAFO reports "unbearable" stench and manure spill at US-127 and Stewart Rd: "Driving north on 127 ... the stench becomes unbearable as I notice a spill of manure, a trail that goes from 127 onto Stewart Road that continues down to Bleich Dairy driveway. I must cover my face with a scarf to get to the front door."

Dec 7 - Tonight, Hartland Farms dump box for liquid manure is gone from the road right-of-way on Dowling Hwy. But stench hangs in the air over neighbors, serious emissions in this RAIN. Rain+ liquid manure = contamination of streams through field tiles. This is why Michigan's Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMPs) say NOT to apply manure before rainfall.

Dec 6 - Major stench alert tonight on Dowling Hwy. Email from Hillsdale Co resident to ECCSCM notes that Hartland Farms "is drag-lining (I think, it was almost dark) on the field near 34. It appears that the railroad car-box [dump box for liquid manure] is in the road right of way. And the manure hauler blocked the road to oncoming traffic forcing me to try to get around it on an incline, blind hill, no way to tell if there was any oncoming traffic...had to turn off the car heater as it was sucking in very foul air....it must be going to rain because yes, once again, they are pouring raw manure-sewage on land."

Dec 1, 2012 - dump box for liquid manure on Dowling Hwy road right-of-way, before pump/hoses attached.

Nov 15 - Terrehaven applying manure slurry/sludge, Emery Rd., Adrian Twp. Also, a neighbor writes, "Sickening smell southeast of Terrehaven barns... Didn't make me immediately gag, moderately bad just driving by, I'd say 5 on my scale of 1 to 10. (One is "can't smell anything but clean air and green grass". Ten is my own personal "made me throw up right there, and made tears run from my eyes".) Too much to be able to carry on normal activities, though."

Nov 10 - The first 10 days of November have been some of the worst in a while for neighbors of CAFOs. The air is foul. More than ever before, we're seeing the practice of stockpiling – the dumping of load after load of waste in heaps in fields. Neighbors report burning eyes, trouble breathing. Emissions can be fierce. These stockpiles are the more viscous manure, semi-solid slurry, often from the bottoms of lagoons. This goop grabs your nose, makes you gasp; it's the foulest oxygen-deprived waste, sickening. Stockpiles sometimes stay in the field for days before the CAFOs bring in bobcats, front-end loaders or spreaders to haul it across the field.

Nov 9 - A neighbor reports, "The stench from Bleich Dairy has been awful the last two days. Tonight the smell was gagging when I opened the vehicle door in the rain when I arrived home from work, could not wait to get inside the house to take a deep breath of air."

Nov 7-8 - And more stockpiling. Bakerlads Farms is stockpiling slurry/sludge on a field along Beecher Rd, east of Henning Hwy. How many violations of the CAFO NPDES permit? The field is not listed for stockpiling on CNMP maps; stockpiling is within 800 ft of water well, and within 150 ft of a tile riser at the road ditch. A field tile outlets to a tributary of the South Branch of the River Raisin. Emissions are affecting neighbors, including a 4 year old child who has missed two days of school with irritated lungs and is receiving breathing treatments.

11-7-12 Bakerlads stockpiling, Beecher Rd. Field tiles drain to a tributary, South Branch of the River Raisin.

Nov 6-8 - More stockpiling. Terrehaven Farms northwest of Adrian is stockpiling in field along Wolf Creek Hwy. A neighbor reports manure "has been spread close to the drain...it will just sit there, and it won't be fully 'incorporated' until someone gets around to it. This could be days, weeks, or months... In the meantime, it will rain, and it will drain. The wind will blow, what is left on top will dry out and float around in the air, and it will stink."

11-6-12 Terrehaven stockpiling on Wolf Creek Hwy field

11-8-12 more Terrehaven stockpiling

Nov 1 - Hartland Farms is stockpiling waste, slurry, black goo, sliding heaps on a damp field on Forrister Rd east of Hawkins Hwy, Rome Twp. For how long?

11-1-2012 Hartland Farms stockpiling, Forrister Rd

Oct 8 - Stench from Hartland Farms draglining north of the facility on Hughes Hwy, also north of Plank Rd. Hoffland Farms is using a pivot gun to spray manure west of Wheeler, at the head of Rice Lake Drain. Pivot guns are one of the worst application practices, shooting liquid manure into the air, aerosolizing fecal material, ammonia, and other pollutants, putting people and waterways downwind at risk.

Sept 27 - Bakerlads AGAIN draglining over sub-irrigation system.

Sept 18 - Bakerlads draglining over sub-irrigation system. Field is ponding, up to gate valve boxes.

Sept 11 - Terrehaven CAFO near Adrian is applying manure on field at corner of Lenawee Hills Hwy and Hunt Rd. Awful emissions for many neighbors.

July 27 - SMD is (again - see July 6) applying liquid manure across from Kecy Industries on Munson Hwy in Hudson.

July 26 - Radar shows rain approaching from the west at 9:00 a.m. Hartland Farms is hauling manure in tankers to the same field as yesterday on M-34.

July 25 - Hot day again, in the 90s, still 83 at 10:30 p.m. and humid. How many neighbors had to shut windows? This morning, "awful stink in the house" reported, from Hartland Farms manure application along M-34 west of Posey Lake Hwy. SMD 1 has dragline stretched from lagoon to east side of Dillon through a wooded wetland (dry in the drought, but a sensitive ecosystem) and on south. Early evening, Hartland Farms still spreading along M-34, also north and south of the facility, west side of Hughes. A neighbor reports that Bleich CAFO, was "firing up the poop wagons yesterday so I did know the stench was going to arrive soon and here it is, putrid stench."

July 24 - Neighbor writes, "It smells rancid outside today on the Packard rd area," south of SMD 2 along US-127. Gag.

July 18 - more draglining from Hartland Farms, immediately before storms and rain, north of facility, west of Hughes Hwy. Neighbor says, "Emissions are horrendous in this heat."

July 17 - 100º heat today. Oppressive air, humidity, stench. Hartland Farms draglining field along Plank Rd west of Henning Hwy.

July 11 - Neighbor of SMD 2 writes, "smelling bad at 127, and Packard Rd all night into this morning..."

July 6 - On the hottest day of the year (temp to reach 102 this afternoon), SMD 2 is draglining within Hudson City limits, across from Kecy Industries on Munson Hwy, tankers running through town, draglining on the field.

July 5 - Hoffland manure spill next to lagoon, pooling at tile riser leading to Rice Lake Drain. Hoffland is also applying liquid manure along M-156, field beside Road Commission barns. SMD 1 is draglining west side of Bothwell south of Canandaigua road 1/2 mile; once again dragline hoses have been placed in culvert of a waterway, Covell Drain at the Canandaigua Rd crossing.

7-5-12 – Hoffland manure spill (first 2 photos); SMD dragline placed in Covell Drain culvert.

July 1 - SMD hauling liquid manure with 5 tankers to field at Tuttle Rd in Wright Twp, spraying on the field until storms moved in – with flash flooding.

June 21 - SMD 1 has all manure irrigators running; South Medina Drain has flow in this drought; SMD 1 hose runs to far east field at Canandaigua Rd. SMD 2 is irrigating manure both west and east of the facility on US-127.

June 20 - Hartland Farms is pivot-gunning liquid manure AGAIN (see June 8) south of the facility along Beecher Rd.

June 15 - Concern from more neighbors about emissions from Bleich CAFO: "I'm not sure if it poses a significant health risk but the odors have been bad off and on for a week. Worse at night."

June 14 - Drought, heat, manure emissions continue. Neighbor of Bleich CAFO writes, "Have had to exist with manure stench for a week...the stench interrupts daily living inside and outside, morning, noon, and night at home. Now a family member is experiencing a head ache that will not go away."

June 11 - SMD 2 has been spray-irrigating liquid manure west of the facility on hay ground, stench and aerosolized emissions for neighbors along Elm Rd. SMD 1 has the north irrigator/liquid manure on a field draining to Medina Drain, and another irrigator on the west side of Dillon. Hartland Farms is pivot-irrigating south of the facility; Hoffland CAFO is pivot-irrigating liquid manure north of Haley, east of Wheeler.

June 9 - These are beautiful, hot June days. But neighbors of CAFOs are suffering. A neighbor of Bleich Dairy reports: "i was awakened this morning at approx. 2 AM to a horrible stench of manure ... I had to cover my mouth and nose so I could breathe and now again tonight the stench is horrendous."

June 8 - "Absolutely horrendous" stench for neighbors of Hartland Farms, with the pivot-gunning of liquid manure south of the facility along Beecher Rd.

June 7 - Stench today at Marvin Farms, Kohl's corner and M-34, and west on Beecher; also stench reported at Bleich Dairy, US-127 and Stewart Road.

May 24 - Manure applications all around: Bakerlads draglining east of the facility; Marvins pivot-irrigating southwest of their facility on Beecher; SMD 2 still hauling from the lagoons on US-127, this time west on Prattville Rd.

May 22 - "Heavy dumping again" by SMD on the corner of M-34 and Elm Rd west of Hudson. "How many times are they allowed to dump on the same field?" (Good question – see May 10)

May 21 - heavy draglining at Squawfield and Pittsford Rds again today, still hauling from SMD lagoons.

May 19 - SMD 2 still emptying huge lagoons – tanker after tanker hauling liquid manure to field near Squawfield and Pittsford Rds.

May 12 - SMD 2 on US-127 still emptying lagoons. Neighbor reports, "Heavy hauling on Packard Rd, south of Hudson starting Friday at 5pm. Still running loaded poo trucks all day sat. Heavy stench along with it....." Intense emissions also reported a mile away on Lime Creek Rd.

May 10 - A beautiful spring day, which means – sad to say for neighbors here– liquid manure tankers are hauling, manure stench is in the air, draglines are dragging through fields. Southern Michigan Dairies 2 is draglining a field at Elm and M-34, just 1 mi. west of Hudson. Tankers are hauling manure to a field container; liquid manure is pumped from there. New Flevo has multiple applications going on in front of the facility: a dump box behind the tractor, and liquid manure application too.

May 3 - SMD STILL DRAGLINING; LINE STILL IN THE WATER ON ACKER HWY. Application is along Munson Hwy. The dragline has been moved from Bean and its tributary on Medina Rd around the corner to the same tributary on Acker Hwy. Dragline is still in water; also on the Acker roadway itself; also in the stormwater culvert, in water, at the US-127 facility.

5-3-12 - Dragline in water of tributary to Bean Creek, Acker Hwy (west side culvert; east side with fold)


5-3-12 - SMD's dragline on the road surface of Acker Hwy (left); and in the water at the stormwater culvert, US-127 (right)

May 2 - DRAGLINE BREAKS along Donnely Rd.

May 1, 2012 - SMD is draglining again, the dragline placed across Bean Creek. The manure-inflated dragline is lying in the water of a tributary of Bean Creek, see photo below, and somewhere out of sight, also crossing Bean Creek itself, a natural stream, with the Michigan Nature Association Powell Sanctuary just 1 1/2 mi. downstream. In 12 years here, we have NEVER seen draglines in streams. DEQ says this is not their "jurisdiction." Think of the risks – to fish, freshwater mussels (several threatened species), drinking water sources downstream. How can this be legal? Could you stretch a pipe with septic waste across a stream, even temporarily? Given the extreme risk, should this be an "acceptable" agricultural practice?

5-1-12 - At the tributary culvert, the drag line hose has a kink (left). Some liquid must be getting through or the hose would blow up; on the other side of the culvert (middle) the line is fully inflated, lying in the water, and pumping on towards Bean Creek. (On right) applicator pumps liquid manure on the field through those tentacles.

April 29 - Sunday: discharge of black water to Toad Creek continues: at 7p.m., the water looks bad and has manure odor. SMD continued draglining all day on Ridgeville, shifting to south side of the road. DEQ has not responded.

Photos of Toad Creek/Blanchard Joint County Drain at Mulberry Rd, 7 p.m. Sunday, April 29:

Water samples are from tile riser of Van Auken Drain on Ridgeville (left), and from Toad Creek/Blanchard Joint County Drain, Mulberry Rd (right).

Draglining means liquid manure is pumped from a lagoon through large hoses sometimes stretching miles to distant fields. Here are photos taken around noon on 4-29-12 of the SMD dragline. The large hose is filled with liquid manure from SMD-3 lagoon, we could hear the pumping). Photos show the dragline: 1) stretching south from the lagoon and under US-127 through a culvert at Ridgeville Rd, and 2) on and on parallel to Ridgeville Rd to 3) the field applicator. No one was present at the lagoon pumping station or monitoring anywhere along this line on Sunday at noon.

April 28 - Manure discharging to Van Auken Drain and Toad Creek - It's the weekend, with DEQ not immediately responding. SMD 3 (formerly Waldron Dairy) is draglining liquid manure out of sight, field east of the facility. Black water is visible in a catch basin approx. 1/4 east on Ridgeville Rd, which discharges through the Van Auken Drain into Toad Creek, visible at culvert on Mulberry Rd. DEQ notified.

4-28-12 - Toad Creek, 1 mile downstream from SMD manure field; catch basin on Ridgeville, closer to the manure field, with black water flowing.

April 27 - Resident near Lake Hudson Recreation Area contacted ECCSCM about concerns for manure entering the lake from an adjacent field where liquid manure was recently sprayed. The Michigan DNR rents the fields to Hoffland Farms CAFO. ECCSCM observation of the manure area: "...it looks dried but so heavily applied if you know it is manure, you can see where it ponded and dried. It slopes to the water. You can see how close Lake Hudson is...If it rains it will find its way into the lake one way or the other if it hasn't already from tiles." The resident said that the algae last year was very thick on this side of Lake Hudson and it smelled bad. He noted that Lake Hudson is 40 years old this year and it was never like this before the manure. It used to be clear.
See how close the manure field (red pointer) is to Lake Hudson – and to the Recreation Area's public campground (blue pointer, left) and public beach (blue pointer, right):



April 25 - Hartland Farms surface applying slurry waste during rainfall, a violation of their CAFO NPDES permit. Several residents near SMD (formerly Vreba-Hoff) notified ECCSCM with concerns about SMD hauling from manure lagoons at night; also preparing to dragline "on land that flows into drain tile that runs under Packard rd directly into the creek...This is going to have a direct effect on the water in the creek as it is all downhill of where they are about to dragline."

April 24 - Intense stench from Hartland Farms draglining, no incorporation, south of facility on north side of Beecher. New Flevo applying solids in front of the facility on Forrister.

April 16 - in high winds, 27 mph sustained, emissions are in the air, reaching far from fields. Hoffland is surface-applying on south side of Tomer west of M-156, upslope of Lake Hudson State Recreation Area; New Flevo is draglining on Townline south of Woerner, with 3 semis hauling the liquid manure. Emissions are still intense from Hartland manure application, never incorporated, along Beecher Rd east of Hughes.

April 15 - terrible emissions from Hoffland manure application, reaching as far as Schoonover Waterfowl area on Medina Rd.

April 13 - Emissions at many locations, very intense, horrible for neighbors. Marvin Farms is still spraying across from the facility on Beecher. Stench is still bad further west on Beecher from Hartland Farms application fields. Extreme stench from New Flevo application of liquid waste along Hawkins Hwy north of Burton. White Farms spreading on west end of Lime Lake, where a neighbor reports, "Strong odor. Can't roll up the windows on a Jeep." On M-34, west of Hudson past Nye Rd, a manure sprayfield smelled horrible even though it had been disked. Is this manure being hauled from SMD lagoons?

April 12 - Marvin Farms, Beecher Rd – Unbearable Stench of the Year Award. Report from a driver: "Horrible, sickening stink. What IS it? Putrefaction of rotted guts? manure? silage acids? moldy, liquid rotted cheesy whey? chemical additives? A slurry of all of the above?"
Bad evening in many locations: on Beecher Rd from the M-34 split on west: not long after Marvin Farms, Bakerlads and Hartland Farms also spraying, spreading, draglining. Bleich hauling 3 semi-tankers of manure north on US-127 past Rome Rd. South of Hudson at Lime Lake, strong emissions reported this morning from White Farms CAFO.

April 11 - Hoffland Farms Easter weekend manure along Tomer Rd (see below) – still no incorporation

April 10 - Hartland Farms draglined north of Plank Road east of Hughes, no incorporation.

April 7-8 - Easter weekend, beautiful weather. Except in some places in stinks. Hoffland Farms has draglined manure along Tomer Rd, the whole way from M-156 to Wheeler Hwy. Note GAAMPs # 20: Avoid spreading on weekends/holidays when people are likely to be engaged in nearby outdoor and recreational activities.

March 28 - "It makes me sick. Just makes me sick," a neighbor says. On a clear spring morning, stench is terrible on Dowling Hwy, winds from the south. Hartland Farms is spraying liquid manure in the same field as March 19.

March 28 - Hartland Farms sprayer loading up via liquid manure umbilical to semi manure-hauler.

March 23 - New Flevo (Waterland) Dairy is applying manure in heavy rain on Plank Road east of Bates Hwy, "all afternoon and still applying at 7:49pm this evening and it is still raining." Hartland Farms is applying manure at the corner of Henning Hwy and Beecher Road. Application in rain or within 24 hrs of predicted rain of 1/2" is prohibited in CAFO NPDES permits.

March 19 - As fields dry and CAFOs haul, all the manure drag-lining, spreading, spraying means "horrible stench" and bad air for neighbors. Bleich Dairy is drag-lining at US-127 & Stewart, with ponding in the field. Neighbor writes this morning: "..horrible stench... will only get worse later." Hartland Farms is hauling solids to the back end of a field on Dowling Hwy between Beecher and Cadmus. New Flevo has 4 semis, a dump box, and dragline spraying a filed near Devil's Lake, corner of Manitou Beach Rd and Townley.

3-19-12 - Bleich drag-lining liquid manure at Stewart and US-127

March 14 - Temperatures in the mid-70's today. A neighbor of Bleich Dairy CAFO emails: "it is a beautiful day today...why do I have to smell manure when I come home from work? Why?"

Jan 24 - Bakerlads manure stinks to high heaven in Clayton today.

Jan 19 - Bakerlads CAFO is "stockpiling like mad," truckloads of manure heaped along east side of Morey Hwy, just south of Beecher Rd.

Jan 17 - Heavy rains overnight has led to ponding in many manure fields - Bleich manure fields north of Hudson, Bakerlads manure fields along Plank Rd west of Skiinner, where manure runoff is flowing down a road to a ditch in the South Branch of the River Raisin watershed.

Jan 16 - Bleich CAFO "odor this morning was like that of sulfur as the manure semi's run waste ... we lost a goose in the road, a couple weeks ago a duck, i guess these semi's are on a time schedule, 'no time to stop for domestic or wild life'."

Jan 5 - Bleich CAFO semi-tankers hauling liquid manure, application on Raymond Rd. Solids applied north of Forrester on east side of US-127.

Jan 4 - Hartland Farms applying, black manure field along Beecher Rd between Hughes and Posey Lake Hwy.