HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-03-15, Page 7News
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, March 15, 2000-7
Liquid manure study reveals some impact.
from storage systems leaking into water
By NOW Evans
Lakeshore Advance Edd o r_
A $ 150,000 report
analyzing the potential
impact of concrete liquid
manure storage systems on
groundwater at 50 hog farms
across southern Ontario
shows eight have problems
suggesting leakage. Six of
those eight appear to have
impacted groundwater near
the surface of the soil.
"The results from the study
did not raise serious
concerns of extensive
environmental impacts of the
concrete liquid manure
storage systems," wrote
Komex International Ltd.
scientist Russ Pagulayan in
the report. "The plumes that
were identified appeared to
be fairly limited in lateral
extent. Ascertaining the full
significance of the impact
from the eight sites that
appear to be impacting
groundwater is beyond the
scope of this project.".
Ontario Pork publicly
released the findings of the
three-month study last
Friday in Exeter. The study
was done in 13 counties
including Huron, Bruce and
Lambton between October
and December 1999.
"I believe pork producers
have demonstrated their
commitment to the
environment in a proactive
and responsible manner...We
were not surprised by the
results of the study as it
shows the vast majority of
manure storages are doing.
their job," said Ontario Pork
director Dennis Zekveld who
chaired the environmental
committee which
commissioned the study. The
cost was divided between
Ontario Pork and the
CanAdapt program offered
by Agriculture and Agri -
Food Canada.
PROTECT (Presenting
Recommendations on
Township Environmental
Concerns Together) disputed
the findings. Disappointed of
being "denied access" to the
draft and final reports ,after
being asked to sit on the
study committee, member
Francis Hogan read from a
statement that "Ontario Pork
failed to deliver on its
promise. PROTECT was
asked to participate, agreed
to participate and,
unfortunately, was not
allowed to fully participate.
We regret this lack of ability
to be fully involved."
Zekveld said the committee
included the Ministry of the
Environment (MOE);
Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs
(OMAFRA) and the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture for
the purpose of reviewing
tenders from firms interested
in conducting the study. The
project was awarded to
Komex International Ltd.
Zekveld admitted he
excluded PROTECT because
he felt the conduct of its
representative "compromised
the integrity of the report."
While PROTECT will issue
an official ~response to the
study after March 20, Paul
Frayne said eight of 50 farms
is 16 per cent, a significant
number of farms with
manure storage problems.
"We were promised 18
months ago these leaking
sites are the exception," he
said.
One per cent of hog farms
Pagulayan wrote in the 42 -
page report
that the 50
farms
represent
just one per
cent of the
5,100 hog
producers in
southern
Ontario. Of
the 50
subject
farms, one
or two
concrete
manure
storage tanks
were new
while 16
were more than 15 years old,
said Pagulayan. They
represented old and new
barns with some storage
under barns; others above
ground. Soil conditions
ranged from fine sand to silt
clay and tight clay. Zekveld
added later the oldest storage
tank studied is over 30 years
old and it was "fine".
Don Mills, co-chair of
ALERT (Agriculture
Livestock Expansion
Response Team), said,his
group wonders why manure
storage tanks are leaking
when apparently small
cracks in concrete are
supposed to seal themselves.
Komex studied the soil
around the tanks and found
signs of hog manure at eight
sites.
"We have to identify
whether we're dealing with
surface entry of manure from
spills during loading...or pipe
disconnect or overtop of the
tank," . said OMAFRA's
byproduct management
engineer Don Hilbom. "With
further study, if the tanks are
identified to be leaking we'll
review what's happening.
Ontario Pork
Dennis Z
director
ekveld
"The other thing
we've got to be
dealing with is
what is the
magnitude of the
cracks. Previous
thinking is small
stress cracks in
concrete (seal) but
are we dealing
with Targe
structural cracks?
We haven't been
out to see the
sites. We don't
know where the
sites are."
Hilborn added
he's pleased to hear
Ontario Pork is following up
on the study. Zekveld said
Ontario Pork is considering
Komex' proposal to monitor
the eight subject sites for two
years. Because of
confidentiality, Ontario Pork
plans to work through
Komex.
Kathy McCarrell of
CARES in Bruce County
asked how many of the hog
farms had more than 2,500
animals. Pagulayan said )he
farms ranged from small to
"a fevi" large farms, one
with a barn more than 200
metres in length. He didn't
know how many hogs were
kept at each farm. Zekveld
said he doesn't know either
because the 50 were selected
by Komex from a list of 100
(provided by Ontario Pork)
and kept confidential to
protect the farmers.
The Huron County Farm
Coalition was one of the
groups to praise Ontario
Pork for its study.
"Ontario Pork has taken the
initiative but it's very
important to do the follow up
work,' said chairman Ron
Douglas.
Afterward, agricultural
specialist Murray Blackie
from the Ministry of the
Environrncnt told The
Lakeshore Advance the study
sheds more light on the state
of concrete manure storage
tanks in southwestern
Ontario. The information
will help the ministry
develop methods to deal with
aging tanks and how to
repair them in the event of a
spill.
"We support the Ontario
Pork study," said Blackie,
adding if one in six tanks
cause problems then a
provincial strategy is needed.
Hilborn of OMAFRA
concurred that more study is
needed to develop solutions.
He said three areas need
further study: handling of
manure (are farmers spilling
it when loading?); what are
the problems in the structure
of existing tanks and what
new rules should be drawn
for construction of new
concrete tanks.
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