Iowa Department of Natural ResourcesEnvironmental Services Division For Immediate Release August 22, 2007 1. DNR investigates manure release in Taylor County2. Manure release in Clayton County3. DNR investigates Jackson County fish kill4. Bypass reports continue following rainstorms DNR INVESTIGATES MANURE RELEASE IN TAYLOR COUNTY MEDIA CONTACT: Dan Olson or Alison Manz at (712) 243-1934. SHARPSBURG - The DNR is investigating a manure release near Sharpsburgin Taylor County. A manure storage pit at a Whitestone Farms hog confinement southeast ofSharpsburg overflowed Wednesday morning. Initially, Whitestone reported to the DNR that the manure release hadnot reached a water of the state. Upon investigation, DNR staff foundthat manure had reached a dry creek bed which has the potential to flowinto a tributary of the One Hundred and Two River. The storage pit is located underneath a hog confinement building.Manure from these pits is usually land-applied in the spring and fall toprovide storage for summer and winter. “We believe Whitestone Farms went into this summer without adequatestorage in its under-building pits,” said Dan Olson, an environmentalspecialist in the DNR’s Atlantic field office. “This serves as areminder to producers to maintain adequate manure storage.” Whitestone Farms is working with a neighboring landowner to construct adike to contain any further runoff from the site and a dam to preventrain from carrying manure in the dry creekbed further downstream. Fieldconditions are too wet for the manure to be land-applied, so acommercial manure applicator has pumped the excess manure to anotherunder-building storage pit to stop the overflow. DNR staff did notobserve any evidence of a fish kill. Manure-contaminated soil will be excavated and land-applied whenconditions allow. The DNR will continue to investigate and may consider enforcementaction. Whitestone Farms is based in Burnsville, Minn. # # # MANURE RELEASE IN CLAYTON COUNTY MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Sanfilippo or Amber Sauser (563) 927-2640. FARMERSBURG - Heavy rainfall led to a manure storage basin overflowinginto Roberts Creek near Farmersburg. The DNR investigated an anonymous complaint about manure in the ClaytonCounty creek Wednesday. DNR staff traced the manure back to a solidssettling structure on an open cattle feedlot with about 150 head ofcattle. “Producers always need to be aware of the levels of their manurestorage, but especially now, with the amount of rain we’rereceiving,” said Amber Sauser, an environmental specialist in theDNR’s Manchester field office. An unknown amount of manure washed into Roberts Creek, which is atributary of the Turkey River. The producer has agreed to make long-termimprovements to his operation, to prevent future manure releases. DNRstaff did not observe any evidence of a fish kill.# # # DNR INVESTIGATES JACKSON COUNTY FISH KILL MEDIA CONTACT: Clark Ott or Doug Hawker at (563) 927-2640. BALDWIN - The DNR is investigating a fish kill near Baldwin in JacksonCounty. Wednesday morning, the DNR received a report of dead fish in BearCreek, located within Eden Valley Refuge. Upon investigation, DNR stafffound up to a hundred dead fish that appeared to have been dead one ortwo days. Staff observed bullheads, carp and smallmouth bass. The DNR has taken water samples and will continue to investigate. # # # BYPASS REPORTS CONTINUE FOLLOWING RAINSTORMS NOTE TO EDITORS: This is an update to the bypass news releases thatwere issued August 20 and 21 and earlier on Aug. 22. MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Baskins at (515) 281-8395. DES MOINES - The following cities reported wastewater bypasses to theDNR after heavy rainfall across northern Iowa the past four days: Butler CountyNew Hartford: The City of New Hartford began bypassing wastewater toBeaver Creek at noon Wednesday at a rate of 18,000 gallons per hour. Hamilton CountyWilliams: The City of Williams bypassed 45,000 gallons of wastewaterfrom a lift station to a drainage ditch from 12:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.Wednesday. Winnebago CountyLake Mills: The City of Lake Mills bypassed 75,000 gallons ofwastewater from 10:15 p.m. Tuesday to midnight Wednesday. The citybypassed from a lift station to a corn field. Worth CountyKensett: The City of Kensett bypassed 3,000 gallons of wastewater to aroad ditch from 11 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. -30- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp