TOWN OF HARTLAND ? Plans to triple manure storage space at a large Shawano County dairy farm has raised concerns among neighbors worried about gas and other potential problems.
The neighbors have complained to Hartland Town Board members, who are looking into the matter.
"They don't want the manure storage facility and the smell and the gas it gives off," said Jay Teschke, a Town Board supervisor.
However, the $1.5 million project at Schmidt's Ponderosa was necessary to keep the business viable while following state regulations, owner Paul Schmidt said.
The dairy farm ? about two miles southeast of Bonduel ? was granted a permit by the state Department of Natural Resources three months ago, according to records reviewed at the DNR office in Green Bay. Final agency approval of the engineering plans for the storage facilities is expected soon.
Schmidt was required to increase the amount of manure storage to nearly 7.9 million gallons as part of the renewal of the farm's Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The new permit is good for five years, until March 31, 2016.
"We're just upgrading to (meet) the new regulations that came out, and do what we needed to do by the county and the state," Schmidt said. "We've always tried to be a leader in running a well-cared-for farm, with care for the environment, the whole nine yards."
Schmidt expanded his herd from about 987 animal units to 1,441 ? or about 1,000 head ? several years ago.
"We have to try to milk extra cows to spread the costs" over the project, he said.
DNR records show he plans to increase to about 1,916 animal units, or about 1,368 heads, but Schmidt said that's only a possibility down the road. Schmidt said he does plan to expand to about 1,742 animal units, or about 1,140 head.
The state requires dairy farms to have at least 180 days of liquid manure storage available, said Casey Jones, an agricultural specialist with the DNR in Oshkosh. The six-month rule is intended so that large animal operations can empty their manure storage in the fall, and then safely hold it until spring, she said. Farms aren't allowed to apply manure when ground is snow-covered or frozen, or in February or March, considered the high-risk run-off period.
To accommodate the herd growth, Schmidt has already expanded his dairy facilities, including barns and feed pad. To meet the requirements of the permit, he is planning to build a second manure storage facility and feed storage leachate runoff controls.
When complete, the expanded operation is expected to generate about 15.2 million gallons of manure and process wastewater each year, the permit says.
The project will increase the size of the current storage facility from about 2.5 million gallon to nearly 3.4 million gallons, Schmidt's permit application says The second storage facility will have a capacity of nearly 4.5 million gallons.
Neighbors didn't learn about the project until they recently noticed excavating equipment at the site, said Tom Riehl, who said he lives about 1.5 miles away from Schmidt's farm. "It's a surprise to all of us," Riehl said.
The additional storage to be constructed is about one-quarter mile away from the feed storage and current manure facility.
Legal notices about the project were published on Feb. 16. Such notices ask for public comment, but none was received before the permit was issued on March 21.
Schmidt said construction never started. Topsoil was being moved to prepare berms, he explained.
Riehl also said he and others were concerned by information they received at a recent meeting about the project, which said that the combination of manure and leachate from a feed storage facility can create toxic gas.
"It's beyond bizarre, especially when it's only 300 feet from one of the neighbors," Riehl said.
Jones, of the DNR, noted that the neighbors should not be alarmed.
"It's just warning folks that the combination may cause issues," Jones said. "It's open-air storage ... there's certainly not a concern for public health, I would say."
She noted that other large farms around the state have storage facilities that collect both feed leachate and hold liquid manure.
"It's a pretty common practice," Jones said.
There's no requirement for manure storage to be a certain distance from other property or homes. The only rule is they must be at least 250 feet from a private well, Jones said.
The plans for the storage facilities have been reviewed and approved by an engineer for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The only thing left is the final review and OK by a DNR engineer, who Jones said is expected to issue an approval letter next week.
"Everything they've shown meets the standards," Jones said.
Jay Teschke, a Town Board supervisor, said board members heard some complaints about the project from neighbors at a meeting Tuesday, and they also presented a petition opposing the project. The petition, with between 20 and 25 signatures, also asks the board to delay or stop the project, Teschke said.
Board members decided to ask the town's lawyer to review the issue and make sure Schmidt has all the correct permits.
The entire Schmidt Ponderosa project, which will cost about $1.5 million, is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30. Schmidt said doesn't expect the finishing work, such as seeding around the storage facility, to be done until October.
Jones, of the DNR, said Schmidt could be granted an extension should there be delays in local permits, but doubted it could be blocked.
"I don't believe so," she said. "It's not subject to environmental assessment or public input procedures. Everything they did met the requirements."
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