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Times-Advocate, 1985-06-26, Page 15Farm groups will join fight on lake bacteria Local farm organizations and ot- ot two provincial ministries said Friday they plan to work together to reduce the high levels ot bacteria which have been entering Lake Huron from area livestock operations during the past few years Spokesmen for the ( )Mario environ- ment and agriculture ministries said an attempt will be made to encourage beet and hog producers in parts of Lamblon and Huron counties to cor- rect any tarn practices which con- tribute fecal coliform bacteria to streams and rivers entering the lake. The comments followed the release Friday of a year-long study into the bacterial problem which closed some southern Lake I luron public swirnnt- ing areas 10 bathers two years ago, in- cluding (.rand Bend's popular beach. Majorparts p1 the study linked high bacteria levels in nearshore areas of Lake Huron largely to the intensive feedlot industry in the two counties. Although larm wastes have long been. suspected as a major cause of local water pollution problems. their effect on. near -shore areas of the Great Lakes have until now thought to have been minimal, if only because of the lakes' high dilution capability. h its report Friday, environment ministry officals blamed the bacterial problem on urban and rural sources, although they noted steps have been taken to identify and correct the former. The report called (he con- tribution by farming practices "more significant." and stressed that any et - fort to improve Lake Huron water quality in areas adjacent to rivers and streams "will depend largely• on reducing these agricultural sources-" At the same time, spokesmen for the two major farm groups in the two counties made it clear the bacterial problem appears to he isolated, in- volving only a few "problem" farms. Livestock operators should not be tar- red as "the only culprits in this pro- blem," they emphasized. "Fanners have small children also," said Dona Stewardson of RR :3 Thedford, first vice-president of the Lambton Federation of Agriculture. "I'm not at all certain that all farmers i in 'the area i should be tar- red as the ones responsible for this problem." If there was any blame to be plac- ed with farm practices, she said. it rests with a "very few" individual farmers who have allowed cattle to roam freely in streams and rivers in the area. or barn -yard manure piles to seep into field tile systems. "We police each other. If anyone is deliberately dumping i manure into a stream n. he's going to he found out -" However, Vernon Spencer of Toron- to, director of the Ontario agriculture ministry's soil and water manage- ment branch, conceded that if all farmers in the area were "using ac- ceptable farm practices in their operations, there wouldn't be a water quality problern.•• Ile said the ministry will work with livestock producers to help them im- prove their operations. but noted the cost of building manure storage areas and retention ponds may be costly for some farmers who could only expect a maximum goverrunent loan oI $5,000 for such projects. That prompted Douglas Garniss of RR 4 Wingham, president of the Huron Federation of Agriculture, to complain that although provincial funds are available to urban municipalities for sewage treatment works, "there is very little that's made available to the fanning com- munity - and it's usually in the form of loans." The environment ministry, which concentrated its study at (.rand Bend and at two other beach locations - al Ipperwash and Goderich - carried out about 11.000 microbiological tests and collected about 25.001 pieces of data. A broken sewer line and a faulty septic tank system in Grand Bend were found to he contributing to the problem and have since been 'cot-- Crediton cor Crediton East By MRS STAN PRESZCATOR Mr and \1rs. Charles' Pinner celebrated their tiuth wedding an niversary Sunday al the home of their son and daughter in law Mr and firs Jack Pinner Huron Park Stephen Glanville Delta B (• is spending holidays with his relatives and friends 11r and .Irs Stan 1'reszc•alor- 111'1V Sunday dinner and supper guests \c it h Mr. and Mrs Ralph Fisher. Egmond- ville. and also visiting them as dinner guests were Mr and Mrs Earle Steele. 1Vallnn The three girls were school mates and spent the day reminiscing Mrs. Bill Armstrong celebrated her birthday Monday and 13i11 celebrated his Tuesday Crediton Decoration Service was held at 'Zion l'nited Church. Sunday Special music was provided by Bob lleywood Special flowers were plat• cd in church FARM SERVICE -Repair Shop tools and Equipment We specialize 111 Air Compressors & High Pressure Washers 500 2000 PSI New and Rebuilt pumps Hypro pumps s(•r vice and parts Honda Gas Engine Cecil Squire Farm Service 235-0465 reeled, said Reeve Bob Sharen It was Sharen who pushed for a lull investigation after the popular village beach was posted to swimmers for two weeks in August, 1983, costing Grand Bend an estimated $I million in lost revenue. The study found Ipperwash to have the lowest concentrations of fecal bacteria. while Grand Bend and Goderich were on average generally sitnilar- however, ministry staff also found the highest levels of bacteria at Goderich. the mouth of the Maitland River which drains a major part of llurot>stiiounty's agricultural region. One other discovery by the ministry confirmed agriculture's role in the contamination problem. said ministry microbiologist Garry I'alntateer. He said some samples ot coliform bacteria were "consistently resis- tant'• to antibiotics routinely used by farmers on their cattle. Palmateer said the discovery also caused researchers some concern because the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. it swallowed by switnnters, could transfer the resistance to other pathogenic bacteria in the intestine. allowing some disease -causing bacteria like salmonella to acquire the same resistance tactors, evade treatment with antibiotics and cause infections. Times -Advocate June 26 1985 BIKE RODEO Exeter Optimist Don Keeping checks out Exeter Public School student David Negriin's bike, at the bike rodeo on Tuesday. The rodeo was sponsored by the Optimists and Exeter Police- Michelle Hirtzel and Cindy Hines ore signing students in, while Jamie Fergusson waits his turn. LooK WHo.s cOMING ON STRONG WHILE OTHERS ARE FADING Free air conditioner repairs. Free air cleaner elements. Free filters. Free hydraulic oil. AWAY STRONG on Resale Value STRONG on reliability STRONG on performance STRONG on warranty STRONG in service Free hydraulic system repairs. Ask For Harry or Dalton call 235-138 Free engine oil. Free power train repairs. TW SERIES For three years, the only thing you have to worry about is running out of fuel. • If anything goes wrong with a new Ford TW Series tractor in the first three years or 2500 operating hours, Ford will fix it. Free. John Deere won't. Massey --Ferguson won't. Allis- Chalmers won't. Case won't. I -H won't. And White won't. Only Ford has the confidence to offer that kind of protection for its over -100 horsepower tractors. What's more, Ford will also give you, absolutely free, enough oil, filters and everything else you need for three years of YOUR TICKET regularly scheduled maintenance. John Deere won't. Massey -Ferguson won't. I -H won't. Allis-Chalmers won't. Case won't. And White won't. in fact, with Ford's revolutionary Tractor Care Plan, about the only thing we toon't pay for the first three years is your fuel. A fact which should plc se all the folks at John Deere, Massey -Ferguson, I -H, Allis Chalmers, White and Case. They finally know our weakness. Buy and take delivery of any new Ford tractor between February 16 and June 30.1985- ' We'll help qualified buyers arrange low 73/4% CONSTANT ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE financing for up to five years on 1 1000 Series, Series 10, and TW Series tractors Financing is through Ford Credit Canada Limited. And, you get the security of constant rate financing. Your payments remain the same for the entire term of the finance period-. -even if other interest rates skyrocket. OR DELAY YOUR PAYMENTS UNTiL OCTOBER 1,1985 We can help arrange a waiver of finance charges and deferral of payments until October 1 for qualified buyers, followed by up to Nile years of 103/4% CONSTANT ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE financing through Ford Credit Canada Limited. You'll make no payments and finance charges will not begin to accrue untilQi October 1, 1985- Implements purchased with the tractor may also Q be financed under these special rates You must take delivery by on your June 30. 1985 � 000 • �N c NA a"c=tiec-e Tractors Equipment FORD TRACTOR ANNOUNCES LOW 73/4% CONSTANT ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE FINANCING FOR UP TO 60 MONTHS EFE EMU Ask For A •cf 0 STOP IN SOON EXETER FARM EQUIPMENT LIMITED THE BEST IN FARM MACHINERY 242 MAIN ST. 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