oakley
Wednesday, August 17, 2005 9:05 PM PDT
oakley
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AG Weekly, Wed, 17 Aug 2005 9:00 PM PDT
Ag News Double C feedlot fines climb to $643,000 http://www.agweekly.com/articles/2005/08/17/news/ag_news/news04.txt
OAKLEY, Idaho -- Willow Creek has seen its share of abuses at the hands of a Cassia County feedlot operator, according to documents released recently by one of three state agencies investigating the facility.
Ag News
Double C feedlot fines climb to $643,000
By Michelle Dunlop, Times-News writer
OAKLEY, Idaho -- Willow Creek has seen its share of abuses at the hands of a Cassia County feedlot operator, according to documents released recently by one of three state agencies investigating the facility.
This spring, Idaho State Department of Agriculture employees spotted cattle standing in Willow Creek at the Double C Farm feedlot near Oakley. Investigators also found an irrigation pivot not only flushing wastewater and manure into the creek but also spraying chemicals into it.
As a result of several inspections beginning May 23, Double C faces fines of approximately $643,000 from the Ag Department for roughly 33 violations.
Last week, the Department of Agriculture announced that Double C Farms, also known as Lambert Produce, had been under investigation by the department as well as two other state agencies -- the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
DEQ is still completing its investigation of unauthorized solid waste disposal and potential ground-water contamination associated with the injection of fluids into the aquifer during operations at Double C. Water Resources announced it could fine the operation over $200,000 for illegally irrigating roughly 549 acres of land in 2004 and 2005 and for illegally injecting fluids, including water from waste lagoons, into the aquifer.
The Ag Department noted in its jointly issued press release last week that Double C reportedly violated both the Idaho Beef Cattle Environmental Control Act and the Idaho Pesticides and Chemigation Act. However, the agency would not disclose details.
A public records request revealed that two different divisions in the Ag Department have notified the operation of problems and proposed fines for violations. The Division of Animal Industries proposes to fine the feedlot $430,000 for 20 violations, according to the noncompliance notice. The Division of Agricultural Resources proposes to fine the operation $213,000 for 13 separate violations.
Double C still has the opportunity to schedule a compliance conference with the agency to discuss the proposed fines and actions, said Wayne Hoffman, spokesman for the Ag Department.
The agency discovered problems at Double C during a routine inspection conducted May 23 by John Klimes, a livestock investigator. According to Ag Department documents, further investigation revealed the following.
* Beef cattle access to Willow Creek: After observing cattle standing directly in Willow Creek, Klimes told feedlot manager Curtis Taylor to fix the situation immediately. Later that same evening, Klimes again instructed Taylor to take steps to prevent cattle from accessing Willow Creek.
A few days later, on May 26, with the problem persisting, Klimes discussed the ongoing violation with farm manager and owner Cory King. However, on May 30, ISDA Deputy Administrator John Chatburn spotted cattle standing in Willow Creek. In June, Chatburn later learned from Taylor that the cattle had access to Willow Creek from December 2004 through May 2005 with the exception of two weeks.
* Wastewater and manure discharge: Klimes noted the north side berm of the feedlot's waste containment pond had collapsed. He found wastewater and manure from three beef cattle confinement pens discharging into Willow Creek. Klimes also observed an irrigation pivot spraying water into the beef cattle confinement area, and "water ran through the manure in the northwest corner of the beef cattle confinement area and then entered Willow Creek."
* Improperly installed irrigation pump equipment: On May 23, Klimes found pumps with valves meant to prevent the flow of water back into the aquifer installed backward. After leaving the site for roughly an hour and a half, Klimes returned to find the valves properly installed. Another Double C employee later told Klimes that three wells had this same problem. One well "could be used to siphon water from a nearby irrigation pond back down into the well."
* Chemigation violations: The initial Ag Department inspection triggered follow-up inspections into Double C's chemigation practices -- or the way that fertilizers or pesticides are added to irrigation water and applied to lands or crops.
On June 16, King told Jim Childs, agriculture program specialist, that Shaun Carson serves as the facility's licensed chemigator. However, in October 2001, Carson sent the Ag Department a letter stating he was "no longer responsible for any chemigation or irrigation systems." Carson's license expired in December 2001, therefore the facility had no licensed chemigator at its facility for the June 16 inspection.
Childs found several improperly installed or missing chemigation equipment. He also noticed that one of the irrigation pivots used for chemical injection also crosses and sprays into Willow Creek. On June 20, the Ag Department ordered Double C to stop its chemigation activities.
Both the Idaho Conservation League and the Idaho Cattle Association have spoken firmly against Double C's alleged actions.
"We are very disturbed that Idaho's clean water could have potentially been polluted so extremely -- putting the public at risk," said Lauren McLean of the Idaho Conservation League. "It's very important that the state be firm and do all they can to hold polluters accountable."
The Ag Department's role in feedlot inspections recently has been called into question by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA plans to assume the lead position in ensuring that beef cattle operations in Idaho comply with the Clean Water Act.
Phone calls to Double C Farms last week and on Monday were not returned.
RedNova, Wed, 17 Aug 2005 8:52 PM PDT
Cannabis Club Moratoriums Approved in 2 California Cities http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=211813&source=r_health
Aug. 17--Both Dublin and Pleasanton's city councils on Tuesday night unanimously approved 45-day moratoriums on medical marijuana dispensaries within their borders. The moratorium will give the cities time to craft ordinances on how to deal with dispensary applications.
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