Stench Alerts 2017
Manure Farming – continues into late November 2017
Manure Farmers still at it – when it rains, it pours! Heavy summer and fall rains and heavy winter snows often mean that those carefully-crafted Nutrient Management Plans go out the window, along with those abundantly-researched, tightly-controlled, optimal application methods. Cows and pigs poop 24/7/365, manure cesspits and stockpiles fill up, and it all has to go somewhere. That’s what Manure Farming is all about.
Nov. 28, 2017 – No appetite for holiday treats if you live northeast of this field today, stench is horrific. Bakerlads applied liquid and slurry manure again (4th time on this field since June) at the SE corner of Beecher and Morey last night, then came back and did it ALL OVER AGAIN (5th time) this morning. Kinda makes you wonder what the phosphorus soil tests for that field show, and how much of it will eventually end up in the Raisin. We feel so sorry for the neighbors who have been stuck in intermittent stench from this field all summer. Apparently the Golden Rule only applies when it’s convenient.
Nov. 28, 2017 – Tankers lined up on Spencer Hwy. between Ridgeville and Mulberry Roads (above) to fill the tanker for this Legend Dairy fan-spray application. Other than distributing contaminated sewage particulates far and wide, it’s hard to see the point of this since there’s nothing to fertilize. But that’s how Manure Farming works.
Nov. 28, 2017 – Manure tanker filling up Houle applicator for field application, no growing crop to fertilize. Hmmm, this field doesn’t seem to be included in anybody’s CNMP
Manure Farmers Dodge Rains to Clear Out Cesspits and Piles, 10.27.17 through 11.15.2017
Hartland manure application, northeast corner of Beecher and Hughes, stopped application as heavy rain showers came through. Sometimes it takes several days for a complete application of manure to a field and the lingering, putrid smell is made worse by warm temperatures, rains that fall almost daily, and bottom-of-the-pit cesspit contents.
Oct. 31, 2017
Terrehaven manure application from stockpile, e. side of Pentecost/Wolf Creek. Heavy showers came through between the time poop pile appeared and it was spread and incorporated.
Nov. 15, 2017
Stinky, stinky, stinky today in the Clayton, Michigan, area. Stench blanket far and wide, including a mile northeast at the North Dover Cemetery, where a ceremony was taking place.
Yet another Bakerlads slurry and liquid application, south side of Beecher Rd., just east of Morey Hwy, just north of Bakerlads CAFO. Liquid manure ponding along edge of field, predicted rain came about an hour after this picture was taken. This is the third application on this same field that we have known about since spring.
Stench Alert – October 22, 2017
Stench Alert – October 22, 2017
Manure tanker parked behind Warner barn at Pentecost Hwy. at Reed Rd. after liquid manure application on 10.21.2017. Stench was noticeable two miles to the west last night.
Same application, different angle. First day of several to come until they finish this huge field, heavy rain in forecast.
Stench Alert – October 21, 2017
Stench Alert – October 21, 2017
Hartland manure application, north side of Beecher east of Hughes, done on Oct. 20, 2017. Wind is from the east today; you can smell the stench all the way to Posey Lake Highway.
...Stench Alert – October 20, 2017
Stench Alert – October 20, 2017
Follow the smelly trail … traces of liquid manure, south side of Lawrence Rd. east of Posey Lake Hwy.
Still on Lawrence Rd., ponded liquid manure, smell getting worse towards Posey Lake Hwy. Where is it coming from?
Getting closer to Posey Lake Hwy., still on Lawrence, s. side. Stench. Manure tanker in field.
Finally, Ground Zero! Lawrence Rd. just east of Posey Lake Hwy. Briskey liquid manure application.
Close-up of photo immediately above. While this was happening, liquid manure tanker/dragline was being set up just across Lawrence Rd. on the north side. Terrible for neighbors who will have to endure this.
Hoffland, dragline from manure cesspit all set up and ready for traveling irrigator liquid manure application on cover crop.
New Flevo dry solids application, Forrister Rd. between Skinner and Hawkins Hwys. This one was particularly stench-o-riffic.
New Flevo liquid manure application on cover crop, Forrister Rd. and Bates Hwy. Almost as stinky as the dry solids application in the photo above.
Dry manure solids piled high against corn stubble, Springville Hwy. north of Forrister Rd. Question: What’s the difference between waste disposal and “crop need”?
ECCSCM also received complaints on 10/20/2017 about Hartland manure applications around Hughes Highway and a manure application at Tipton Hwy. and Shepherd Rd. Too much cow manure, not enough time.
...Stench Alert – October 17, 2017
Stench Alert – October 17, 2017
Briskey dragline liquid manure application from dump box, Beecher Rd. just west of US 127.
Close-up, same application. On October 21, 2017, they came back and made another dragline liquid manure operation on the same field.
Ingall Hwy. north of Packard Rd. Duckweed on top, green slime underneath.
New Flevo poop wagon adding to the back of the manure stockpile on Forrister Rd.
...Stench Alert October 2, 2017
Stench Alert October 2, 2017
Exceptionally stinky dry solids manure application (Briskey) over several days, Posey Lake Hwy. and Valentine Drive, Posey Lake. ECCSCM received 2 neighbor complaints about this.
Windy day, dust and manure particulates flying everywhere. Tanker fan-spraying liquid manure on Packard Rd., between Tuttle and Elliot Hwys.
Halliwill dumping dry solids at back of manure stockpile on Forrister Rd., close to groundwater well, no containment. Tile riser (pipe) visible in center front of photo.
...September Stench: Hazardous hydrogen sulfide, methane, & ammonia gases for neighbors
September 28, 2017
Hartland dragline manure operation on newly-harvested corn field, SE corner of Hughes Hwy. and Beecher Rd., Hudson Township. (Raisin/Lake Erie watershed). No more growing crop, nothing left to irrigate, nothing left to fertilize. Just spewing. Up, down, back and forth, here, there, everywhere.
Up the hill …
Then, down the hill …
And what do you get?
A flood of raw animal sewage, ponding so bad it’s reflecting the bright September sunlight. Vegetation in photo is on neighbor’s property at fencerow. Manure has been applied right up to the property line.
Then there’s gut-wrenching, headache-causing stench, along with emissions: Hazardous hydrogen sulfide, methane, and ammonia gases, the blowing particulates. Imagine the worst case of the most intense diarrhea ever, 100+ acres worth, dumped right next to your lawn and home. You can’t get away from it, indoors or outdoors. The best you can hope for is a change in wind direction.
Surely this will all be absorbed by the soil, where it will be stored and used for the next crop, right? Not when there’s more than the crop can use or the soil can hold. Same field, where manure was applied the day before, still ponding at bottom of hill (bottom of pic), with dried manure on field’s surface.
Bakerlads manure slurry application on corn stubble, n. side of Cadmus Rd. between Hughes and Morey Hwys., Hudson Township (Raisin/Lake Erie), a few days after corn harvest. No more growing crop, nothing left to fertilize, nothing left to irrigate. Even the corn stubble left in the field has a thick brown coating. Art project? Halloween decoration, perhaps? Hope it’s not either – way too stinky.
Humid, 90+degrees, foul stench hangs in the air in all directions around our CAFO
Sept. 22, 2017
Humid, 90+degrees, foul stench hangs in the air in all directions around our CAFOs. Water in Lake Erie’s Raisin and Maumee headwater tributaries up here in Michigan, ditches, creeks, streams, rivers, is green everywhere. Bright green, dark green, light green, blue green. Green scum, blue scum, green slime, green foam.
Above - Rice Lake Drain, tributary of Bear Creek, Raisin/Lake Erie, taken 9.22.17. Haley Road, Hudson Township, Lenawee County, Michigan. The traveling irrigator that Hoffland Dairy uses to pump liquid manure from their lagoons to these fields is on the top of the bank on the right side of the picture. This is the worst in memory; duckweed on the surface is losing the battle and it looks like blue-green soup underneath. On August 17, 2017, E. coli was 1300/100 mL, cattle DNA was present, orthophosphate test strip read 30 ppm, ammonia test strip read .25 ppm, cyanobacteria and microcystin were both present, all very alarming.
Above – Green, green everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Because it might be toxic. Tributary to Bean Creek/Tiffin/Maumee, taken 9.22.17. Ingall Highway facing southwest, Medina Township, Lenawee County, Michigan. Medina Dairy (2016 CNMP) manure application fields on either side. Green scum on top, darker green under the surface. Bottom picture is the same stream, looking upstream (northeast), so you can see the pea-green color under the scum without the sun’s reflection from the surface.
...Follow The Manure … with your nose
Captions as shown underneath the pictures. Introductory paragraph above first photo and conclusion sentence below last caption.
Follow The Manure … with your nose
8.3.17 - Pretty stenchy in western Lenawee and eastern Hillsdale Counties, hot and windy day, heavy rain in the forecast. The July wheat harvest is finished, hay was recently cut, and all you have to do is follow your nose, and you’ll find the stinky manure applied to cut wheat and hay fields. “Amber waves of grain” in Beautiful America, except for the application of massive amounts of manure everywhere, with its nutrients that cause HABs and biological contaminants like E. coli. Come along with us, as we follow the stink to these locations.
8.3.17 - New Flevo, north side of Forrister Rd. west of Bates Hwy., liquid manure application on cut hay
8.3.17 - Hartland Farms, Briskey applying, liquid manure on wheat stubble, NE corner of Forrister and Hawkins.
8.3.17 – Hartland Farms, very recent dragline application, s. side of Cadmus between Morey and Hughes. Pumping equipment still set up.
8.3.17 - Bakerlads, fan-spraying from tanker, SW corner of Morey and Beecher
8.3.17 Halliwill manure application, w. side of Townley n. of Burton
8.3.17 Halliwill, n. side of Burton Rd., w. of Townley Hwy.
8.3.17 More Halliwill, n. side of Burton Rd., w. of Townley Hwy
8.3.17 Even more Halliwill, n. side of Burton Rd., w. of Townley Hwy. This is a big field and a very large and stinky manure application, complete with some ponding.
8.3.17 State Line Farms, manure application at SE corner of Seneca Hwy. and Yankee Rd. Fun Fact: All the other applications today were dairy cow manure, but this one is from a hog CAFO. Can you “smell” the difference?
so sorry they’re stuck with the stench
8.3.17 Hudson Dairy dragline manure application, n. side of M-34 at Kelso Rd. Caller said, “This has been going on for days and it is bad.” We agree, and we’re so sorry they’re stuck with the stench.
It will be a pretty miserable couple of weeks for all of these neighbors, with the stench of these fields hanging low in the air, or blowing with the wind, and no way to keep it out of their homes, even with air conditioning.
More Nauseating Liquid Manure Stench – Hillsdale County, MI 8/2/17
When will the Stench end?
7:15PM on 8/2/17 after yet another very hot day, humid and 89F on
our property, just as we were going to open up the windows to cool down
the house (no central air), Overwhelming stench from the north. Unable
to work in garden or sit on porch or cool the house.
Drove all around and saw the same field north of 34 just west of Kelso Road, Pittsford Twp, Hillsdale County.
One tractor appeared to be draglining at back of property as thunder
sounded (Not captured in photos). Field looks plastered with liquid manure.
Reminded me of the old Vreba Hoff Dairy days.
Stench overwhelming on M 34 in that location and at our home. Several homes nearby. Nobody outside except the manure polluter.
Third day of disruption from Hudson Dairy. They owe us money for all the
days and nights we've have suffered from their untreated waste.
Goes without saying, it is 20 years past time that CAFOs either treat
their waste or shutter their business.
Nauseating liquid Manure, Hudson Dairy: End of July during Heat wave
Agony of nearby resident reported
Manure spreading from Dump Box.
7/29/17 Nauseating liquid manure stench from the north at about 11:30
PM. Had to close all the windows. Unable to cool the house overnight. No
central air.
7/30/17 10 AM; Source of liquid manure was/is Hudson Dairy, draglining
and also using a Houle, spraying nauseating liquid shit out the back end
up in the air on a cut wheat field on north side of M34 just west of Kelso Road.
Draglining liquid manure. Using Houle spraying nauseating liquid shit out the back end; up in the air on cut wheat field on north side of M34 just west of Kelso Road, Pittsford Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan
Had to close all windows and unable to garden or pick vegetables or work
outside in morning. Followed one hauler back to Hudson Dairy. One of the
trucks labeled with Briskey.
Hauling Manure from Hudson Dairy for application to fields
Manure transfer - Dump Box Hillsdale County, MI
Liquid manure pollution particulates sprayed directly on field using Houle
Windows closed all day and night. Very hot no central air conditioning
except one window unit unable to cool house down at night.
7/31/17 Stench returned this evening after a very hot day with windows
closed. Unable to cool the house down for a second night.
9 on a scale of 10 on the Stench-O-Meter July 24 2017
9 on a scale of 10 on the Stench-o-meter today just south of Terrehaven CAFO on Hunt Rd., at Adrian’s north City limits. Heavy rain last night, still humid, gagging smell, feels like a punch in the gut. Those poor neighbors on the northwest side of Adrian, no enjoying summer vacation for them today.
Additional Stench Alert emailed to ECCSCM on 7/24/17
(Using "How to Report Factory Farm Pollution link)
Location:1 mile southwest of Hudson Dairy.
Type of Observation: Stench/Odor
Comments: Strong winds from tne northeast pushing emissions and odor. Have to keep the grandchildren indoors today.
Who did you notify?: ECCSCM
...
Lime Lake under stench advisory
Wind changed direction to north-easterly this evening at Lime Lake. Lime Lake is located less than 1 mile southwest of Hudson Dairy on US 127. The strong stench/emission made going inside and closing all the windows the best option until the wind changes direction.
...Terrehaven stockpiles manure, not incorporating into Soil, 5.17.17
Terrehaven stockpile, 5.17.17, corner of Beecher and Sand Creek, Madison Twp., S. Branch, Raisin, watershed
Hartland Farms: Spewing raw livestock sewage on fields
Spewing Raw Livestock Sewage - Another Breakfast on the Farm 5/17/17
Hartland dragline 5.17.17 North side of Cadmus between Morey and Hughes Hwys
Hartland Farms is down-right spewing raw livestock sewage, back and forth all across the field just like this, no carefully calibrated applicator so no idea of actual rate or amount blasting out, using a dragline that stretches over the fields, under the road through the culvert, and back to Hartland's lagoon.
One must question whether proper agronomic rate can be measures with this type of application.
Stench/emiisions are affecting those living nearby the north side of Cadmus Rd. between Morey and Hughes Highways.
...Look what the Easter Bunny brought … oops, that’s not chocolate, it’s cow s**t!
April 15, 2017 - Look what the Easter Bunny brought ... oops, that's not chocolate, it's cow s**t! New Flevo/Waterland dragline manure application, on nearly 200 acres. Manitou Rd., just across from the old drive-in movie theater and Green's Lakeside Cemetery at Devil's Lake, all the way west to Townley Hwy. Multiple-day operation, just finished up by Good Friday, but the stench-o-meter still registered a "10" on the Saturday before Easter. No outdoor family barbecues or picnics or Easter Egg hunts this year for the neighbors. America's most sacred holiday week and respect for families vs. $$$ and CAFO schedules, guess who wins.