2,500 Gallons of Hog Waste

Here's something I don't get about environmentalists. Let's further examine this quote from the article...

My question is this.

Why was the Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management called on to the scene to investigate something that was going to be put on soil to begin with? Why is there a need to "excavate the contaminated soil"? What do they think is going to happen to the waste/manure once it's spread onto the farmer's field? Why is my tax dollars being wasted on such a thing?

Thank a tree hugger, I suppose.

 

Well, I have some hands on experience in this field, since I worked commercially operating an injection machine (Terra-Gator) putting this material into fields for about 6 years. And the first week I worked on that job, one of our drivers rolled over a tanker, spilling about 5000 gallons of biosolids from the local wastewater plant.

Bottom line is that you have permits that allow you to place the manure on fields as fertilizer. You do not have a permit to place the product into areas other than farm fields. Since there is a possibility of the product getting into uncapped wells or other access points to groundwater or streams, you operate under some limits on how you will operate.

When our tanker rolled, I pulled in with the injector, and suctioned out all the liquid in the trailer, and pumped it into another tanker so our trailer could be rolled upright. Then I suctioned up all the liquid I could off of the ground, including the water the fire dept had pumped as part of cleaning the road. The remainder soaked into the soil, and we had to have a contractor come in within hours with a loader and dumps and dig out the contaminated soil to a depth of 18 inches. Then we had to replace the soil and any appropriate landscaping as part of the wreck recovery. Luckily, we had permits for the fields we were working that permitted up to haul the contaminated soil to that farm and spread it out on the field.

Manure is not just pumped onto a field in will nilly fashion. It can only be injected at rates the ground is capable of absorbing, and it cannot be pumped or injected within certain distances of waterways, private, or public wells or other water sources. Since the high phosphate and nitrogen levels can cause fish kill, you operate under a bunch of restrictions when you are pumping the material in as fertilizer. In the soil, those break down into fertilizer, but in waterways they do not.

As for the tax dollars, everyoe on scene, EPA types and fire dept, submits a bill for their services, so very few tax dollars were xpended here. The insurance company ends up paying the bill, or charging you for it in the aftermath.

 

I appreciate the explanation, and it does shed some light onto the matter for me. I figured there were some sort of guidelines required for the manure/bio-waste to be spread onto the field. I suppose I was being a little simple about it. My thoughts were based on the "it's all soil" argument, which is obviously not a good argument basis.

 

WeeeeOOOOh-Smell that smell!

 

my wife thinks one of those tankers rolled over in our bed last night..

 

i told her to hurry up and cover up her head before the sent made her sick..

 

Oooooh, the old "Dutch Oven" trick. I'm surprised you're still married after that. lol If I ever pulled that I'd be dead!

 

EWW!! ITS BAD ENOUGH THE DOG CRAWLS UNDER THE BLANKETS AND FARTS IN THE BED, SURELY DON'T WANT THE HUBBY DOING IT TOO!!:smt011