(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
This story was originally published by Iowa Capital Dispatch and is unaltered.
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DNR tells controversial cattle operation to submit new manure plans [1]
['Jared Strong', 'More From Author', '- May']
Date: 2023-05-11
A northeast cattle feedlot must submit a new plan to manage the manure it produces now that a district court judge nullified its previous plan that had been approved by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, according to a letter the DNR sent to the feedlot’s owner.
It further must cease withdrawals of manure from its 39-million-gallon storage basin until a new plan is approved, the letter said.
The Supreme Beef facility in Clayton County has been challenged for years by environmental groups because of its proximity to Bloody Run Creek — a premier trout stream — and its location in a geological area that is more susceptible to pollution. The feedlot is permitted for 11,600 cattle, making it one of the largest operations in the state.
The Sierra Club of Iowa and Trout Unlimited sued the DNR over its approval of a nutrient management plan that is meant to govern how the manure is removed from the facility and applied to cropland.
A judge last month said the plan was approved using “illogical interpretations of the statutes,” according to court records, and questioned the placement of the manure storage system in an area with porous bedrock.
In a May 3 letter, the DNR instructed Supreme Beef to submit a new plan that includes updated or new information to allay the concerns of the judge, including test results of its manure, gully erosion calculations and further information about the storage structure.
“Please note until (a new plan) has been approved by the DNR, no manure can be removed from the facility,” the letter said.
The DNR does not currently know whether there is sufficient storage space for the manure until a new plan is approved, said Tammie Krausman, a spokesperson for the department.
“It is the facility’s responsibility to ensure adequate storage, which the DNR will look at when on-site for inspection,” she said.
In a February 2023 inspection report, a DNR officer noted that the storage basin had “adequate storage capacity.”
Krausman also said manure from the facility was applied to land this spring. Such applications typically happen in the spring and fall.
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https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/11/dnr-tells-controversial-cattle-operation-to-submit-new-manure-plans/
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