Editor, Times-Union: Farmers are having a hot dry summer and crops are begging for rain. Conditions are too dry for good gardens and lawns. Add to this another situation, man made in nature, that goes on in our county, because of the influx of CAFOs.
Staging of manure may come to a field near you. The tons of manure created by confined animals is unreal and must be dealt with. It won’t just go away, like the manure from animals at pasture. People using the tons and tons of poultry manure will tell you of the great benefits this product has for their crops. One very big problem is that the manure is a daily force to be dealt with and must be taken out of the huge chicken CAFOs on a timely basis. This leads to semi loads of manure being trucked to a field and staged. The rules are minimal and not always adhered to by the farmer buying the product, for later use. It can set for 90 days. The rules require, or suggest, that the huge manure pile be covered with plastic and be bermed.
Have you ever covered anything, this undesirable, with plastic, and let it smolder in the sun? The stench is unbearable. When the wind comes from the northwest, it wafts over our property and other surrounding properties and makes us gag! The next adverse condition is thousands of flies, caused by the smoldering tons of staged manure. Other vermin will also be attracted to this filth heap.
While IDEM has minimal rules for the staging of manure. It does not address the effect it has on human health. They do not have the authority to regulate odor from staged manure. Many of us will become ill from the manure piled so near our homes and land. We will be greatly limited in using our woods as an outdoor recreation venue. Anyone with allergies will suffer a lot more. People with Asthma will be challenged, daily.
There may be some rules in effect, at the state level. Our local APC made sure, by reason of conflict of interest vote, they will not make further local ordinances. The best rule yet, if followed, would be The Golden Rule.
