Union Go Mess
Uh. . . where was I? Oh, yeah, CAFO’s. CAFO’s must meet stringent state standards to gain approval from IDEM in the form of a permit. Once issued, IDEM takes care to assure that construction occurs in accordance with these requirements, and carefully monitors these operations to assure that they are operated in accordance with the law. Because of these careful controls, we can rest assured that the Governor’s plan to dot rural Indiana with these intensified farming operations will not pose a threat to the health and well being of Hoosiers. In fact, these modern operations are so well run that there is no discharge of manure from these facilities.
There have been occasions in the past when some marginal operators have messed up and contaminated waterways, but those facilities do not use modern techniques. So it was no wonder that there was allegedly yet another spill from Johannes De Groot’s dairy. He has paid fines in the past for spills, building without a permit, and was even convicted for intimidating an IDEM inspector.
But what’s with the recently constructed and ultra modern Union Go Dairy inRandolph County? In last week’s heavy rains, it was cited for spilling manure into 2 miles of Sparrow Creek and failing to maintain 2 feet of freeboard in its 20-million gallon manure lagoon? Maybe IDEM commissioner Thomas Easterly has an answer:
“Indiana has stringent performance standards for the livestock industry that require operators and owners to prevent manure from impacting water quality,” Easterly said. “The majority of livestock operations in Indiana work hard to meets these … standards for storing and land-applying manure.”
The article in the Pal-Item also noted that Tony and Ivonne Goltstein, the owners of Union Go, filed a permit notice with IDEM recently to expand the operation from 1,650 to 2,804 cows. I’d gamble that it will be approved.
April 11th, 2007 13:41
Thomas Kemp, I can’t understand from all the information about these CAFO’s and all bad that can and does happen ,why anyone would concider letting all this doing harm to the health of people and not taking care of God’s land. We all are responsiable of our actions!!!Judgement day is comming!!
April 11th, 2007 17:20
What world are you living in?!!! There have been NUMEROUS manure spills and incidences of pollution in this state from MANY of theses CAFO’s. The Salamonie Reservoir is polluted from a CAFO near Andrews, In. They have been brought up on charges several times. IDEM has become a joke as far as upholding these so called regulations, slap on the wrist a little fine(that this HUGE operations can well afford)and on they go. Listen they may “look” good when they go in but eventually they will NOT be able to handle the massive amounts of waste coming from these FACTORY farms. Tracy Thurman
April 12th, 2007 11:42
This is what is upsetting me. You see where it says the CAFO has a history of polluting. Now, to me, the first time they pollute would be the last time. How many times does it take for a CAFO to pollute to get them out? Each time this happens, the environment is greatly harmed. They say they clean it up, but I am not sure about that statement. The other thing that gets me is a lot of these CAFOs are not from the United States. They come over here because land is cheaper and the laws are to their liking. Our great state is being harmed and the big money makers are getting rich. We will stay here and put up with the ruin of our great state. How much should a person take in order to have good air to breathe and clean water to drink?
April 12th, 2007 16:03
Oh dear Ms. Thurman: I thought that Mr. Kemp was being sarcastic.
Hint: he’s no fan of CAFOs.
April 13th, 2007 09:11
I recommend to everyone who is concerned (and I’m one of them) to call your state legislators TODAY. The yearly session is quickly coming to an end and we will have to wait yet another year to attempt to drive home the message.
I was told personally by one of our Indiana Senators that the reason the laws and statutes in Indiana are not more restrictive is because the average Hoosier is not concerned. It’s that simple. Most people in Indiana do not, and believe they will not, live next to one of these open sewage compounds.
There is nothing clean, humane, modern, safe or neighborly about them, but you won’t know until one is next to you (and the ag-biz keeps propagating the false messages to the contrary). That’s exactly the dismissive attitude I had until I learned the truth through regrettable experience. Let (as ag-biz calls them) your “cousins” in the city(s) know what’s going on. Call your state legislators (see http://www.in.gov). Call your county commissioners. It’s as simple as your vote. If you live in an Ag-zoned district of Indiana you are 6 months away from open, under-regulated sewage.
July 17th, 2007 06:49
Indianna sounds an awful lot like New York, and we are having the same problems.
After taking many intermediary steps, our solution was to act as agents of the local, state, and federal agencies because they were unable or unwilling to do so.
Please look up filing of Citizen’s suit in Federal Courts of New York:
Coon, Strecker, Mather, Keppel and Mangan vs. Willet Dairy Corp., Eldred Bros LLC. ,naming Dennis and Scott Eldred as CAFO owners.
We have been fighting the Dairy for violations of THe clean Water Act and other alleged violations, as well as for personal damages to our health and homes.
I tell you about this because Indianna’s response sounds so much like New York’s response to these sweet-smelling CAFO’s, with their wonderful effects on the natural resources and homes and people in the rural areas of our communities.
Please e-mail if interested in more info. or just to commiserate on the most fragrant days.
eelnoc2000@yaho.com