Lancaster Dairy Christmas Present for Chesapeake, Got Manure?

On Christmas Day 2009, I saw the cow manure spread on top of at least 12 inches of snow we had received earlier in the week. I didn't have time to film it on Christmas Day so I returned on December 26th.
Christmas night into the next day the rain poured down and melted the snow, forming a cow poop slurry that could be seen washing into the stream, less than 15 feet from the thick layer of manure.
This pollution source was reported to PA Department of Environmental Protection on Monday, December 28th. We are awaiting a response, and following up with more observation and documentation.

The Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper and Stewards of the Lower Susquehanna, Inc work to reduce pollution flowing into our waterways. Applying manure on top of snow or before a large rain event is bad farming and environmental practice. Fertilizers are released rapidly into the environment if not applied in good conditions (see PSU Agronomy Guide).
To report pollution, email LowSusRiver@hotmail.com

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Farm
• Bureau
• Manure
• Lancaster
• Dairy
• Susquehanna
• Chesapeake

[LowSusRiverkeeper]

PA DEP will follow up to make sure that the operation has a manure management plan, but nothing they saw was illegal. In plain language, PA farmers can dump manure in any weather conditions: on frozen ground, on top of snow, during a rain storm, etc. Only provable damage to the local stream is a violation, such as a fishkill or damage to the aqautic community. I repeat, the nutrient coming off of these farms are not illegal in PA, though many of these practices ARE illiegal in Maryland.

[LowSusRiverkeeper]

So, I just got off the phone with PA Department of Environmental Protection. I was told that they went out and spoke with the farmer. The farmer said the piles by the creek were mostly dirt, with only some feed and manure mixed in. The piles froze solid before the farmer could move them. As for spreading on the snow, the farmer said he spread before the snow fell. Now I saw the manure on top of 12 inches of snow on Dec. 25th. The farmer said he spread on the 19th. Who's lying?My eyes?

[phillyfireman]

great work first of all !! I wonder what the dairy farmers do in md, Flush it all down the toilet ? Demonize who ever (they deserve it) but I;m sure people in other states are equally to blame. The problems of the water quality in the bay are many. In my opinion none of them compare to the ecological disaster the conowingo dam has bought on to our migrating fish.(and maybe most importantly the mussels that hitch rides on these migrating fish. few mussels left are decades old

[Anais2]

Great, Mike!

[revolotus]

nice video - what a great tool for the monitoring work you do!