Contact: Forrest Peterson, 320-441-6972
Marshall, Minn. – A Marshall-area cattle producer has agreed to pay a $10,000 civil penalty for alleged violations stemming from manure-contaminated water runoff during land application of manure from a feedlot holding about 3,000 cattle. In a Stipulation Agreement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Donald DeLanghe will also revise the feedlot’s manure-management and emergency-response plans.
On Sept. 8, 2010, the MPCA received a complaint about manure-contaminated water runoff from cropland about four miles south of Marshall. Manure from the feedlot, which is stored in two earthen basins, was being applied to the cropland as fertilizer. Over-application of liquid manure, combined with the marginal field conditions due to wet weather last fall, resulted in manure-contaminated water escaping to field drain tiles and to an intermittent stream.
In a related Administrative Penalty Order, the manure application contractor received a $10,000 penalty for failing to report the discharge, and for not taking immediate steps to contain or recover it.
The MPCA regulates the collection, transportation, storage, processing and disposal of manure, and provides assistance to counties and the livestock industry. Large feedlots with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits must operate so that no manure or contaminated water is allowed to enter waters of the state. More information about feedlot regulation and assistance is available on the MPCA feedlot program Web page.
Stipulation Agreements and Administrative Penalty Orders are two of the tools the MPCA uses to achieve compliance with environmental laws. When calculating penalties, the agency takes into account how seriously the violation affected the environment, whether it is a first-time or repeat violation, and how promptly the violation was reported to appropriate authorities. A Stipulation Agreement also attempts to recover the calculated economic benefit gained by failure to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner. For a comprehensive list of enforcement actions by the MPCA, go to the agency’s enforcement Web page.
