HomeMy WebLinkAbout20010046.tiff DEC-19-2000 16:36 P.01
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close, "To protect and improve NE
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of pub&chitt the health and environment
of the people of Colorado. "
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4300 Cherry Creek Drive South,Denver,CO 80246 • (303)692-2000
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CONTACT: Cindy ParmentaA303)692-2013
rNiiDirector of Co cations
Christopher Dan;(303)692-3281 3
4,ir Pollution Control Division ,'? ->`"
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Tuesday,December 19,2000
State Health,Department,National Hog Farms Reach Agreement; i"' `•T -i
Kersey Facility To Completely Suspend Operations by January 1 f:
ENVER—The Colori.ado Department of Public He:..Ith and Environment and National Hog Farms
have ed an agreement retiring the company to completely suspend operations at its Kersey facility in
Colorado by January 0001.
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compliance order also outlines the conditions National Hog Farms must meet before it sr�ill be
allowed out�r,�
again begin o z its hog farm east of Greeley.
went was aliecessaxy step to put an end to violations of both water and air quality)
regnlati that this department?,convinced have been occurring at the Kersey facility for the last se
months,' said Jane E.Norton,*executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health
Ent ent. `This agreementlows 1 iational Hog Fames to suspend operations in an mderly and cient
manner+bile protecting the edv bmnent from any adverse impacts. It puts a stop to thr violations."i
s.r,a
der the tams of the argreement,National Hog Farms must completely suspend operations
January ,2001,and remove theApproximately 1.400 weaned hogs currently housed at the Kersey f ' 'ty.
National og Farms will be allowed to store the hog waste that has been accumulating since N I
Y�f
under soon-to-be-unoecupiegcort5nement structures according to strict environmental practices d 'led
in the a art. •
D ';
e& ?sent 4geiic/c__ t„ 12 07.3
/ 40/ ui ac �� PL
I ? / 2001-0046
DEC-19-2000 16 37 � '��
I I
I
N Hog Parma/ e 2 +.
n order for National Hpg Farms to begin operating its Kersey facility again,the emptily m
meet s requirements on *d in the compliance order,including an explanation of`ow it will mply
w;th all 1'tcable nix and wat��t>ality
laws and regulations. The company must obtain i permit the
State curt of Public and Environment's Air Pollution Control Division
k R sherd be any
ent process. National , to
og Farms also is requireda the Ensue should an en
cement of operations in details how wastewater will be managed
shut be necessary. ;e
State regulators and Nafonal flog Farms have beer involved in a dispute over vironmenit i
propassed an amendment placing new requirements upon
con at animal tha feeding
si__n__c�__er.�CLoins,inorado voters phoga � in November 1998. amendment tbened
r water
q ality r'gul tons thatding govern waste is managed to protect ground er and
. air and water quality regulations that how hog
reduce ors that can resthlt. 4,
1uu
i'` Public Health and Environment anNnalb oaogr Farms
band both
led of
The State s?yea> .
laws ' earlier this year over lAsaental s violation of a regulatory requiremente:d violating the land application
hog from Nov.1 to M C each w was emfau Hog Farms admits
ban, sued the stateregulation
•
National Hog Farms;is ; e only hog farm in Colorado that does not true a lagoon as part of- waste
Typical. _ a hog faun will use some combination of land application to ftel and
proon tos. an ,e , by hop,whose numbers at larger facilities can ex one
in a lagoon to manage,' a generated to store all waste that
the land lication ban period,hog farms use lagoons
milli he is
al. During lof the waste management process•
until they again -apply part i
Instead of lagoon sto e,National Hog Farms
cally, Qding tanks nal Hog Farms h that onlhave
capaci to store accumulated , e for a few days.
and appl
g eed waste year-round its sole method of waste management.
State regulators belieyc this to be an environmentally dangerous practice because continuo land
and contaminate the water. Applying the
appii 'on of untreated wast�'can seep into the ground � on
' creates a new set of lets because the ground may freeze and the untreated waste can
the ce,creating odor plams. Lagoons are constructed to break down the waste and are
with Inters and covers that '' 'ce or eliminate ground water and air quality impacts.
Lti
ed is Jul wham the parties agreed to a compliance order that iuncl a
The laNsuits were , Y also agreed it would not lard apply waste
$50,0 0 6ne. National Hog; .without admitting guilt,
this ' ter. The order,s' ' duly 17,2000,also required the company to submit a complete it
app ' ion by Augtt%
17,2, ,explaining how it would deal with waste issues during the winter.i.
" —more--
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DEC-19-2000 1637 P'O3
1 I
Nation Hog Farms/page 3
eeoid a ing to state teguaiors,National Ha Farms failed to submit a complete application by the
August 7 deadline. Several incomplete.applicatious were submitted that were not approved by the mate
August 17 and November 1 when the wintertime application ban begins.
I
n September,National/Ales Farms began construction of an effluent storage lagoon at the ey
facility ' ut an approved penntt. State regulation requires such a lagoon to be approved before
co 'on begins to ensure that it will meet all necessary environmental standards. National Hog anus
also h led to provide a financial assurance bond The bond is required so that the remaining a can
be man should a company cease operations.
lagoon is now cotplete but effluent ltas not been placed in it. Some clean water has beya
added tq keep the lagoon's tins iqr place. The lagoon does not meet environmental staodards and c be
approve in its present conditiogi:according to the State Department of Public Health and Envimnm t.
the interim,Nationalog Farms has been storing hog waste underneath the confinement
strut —a violation of environmental regulations and teems of the original compliance order. That
ce order allowed Nat al Hog Fames to store hog waste underneath an unoccupied co era
s on org curly with an accompan , odor control plan approved by the State Department of Public cant*
• and En ml
Under the new agreement,National Hog Farms may continue to store accumulated waste un the
confinement structure as long as no hogs are housed in the structure and it remains sealed with " ' air
exchange. The company must hue an independent consultant to do regular odor testing to ensure th no
offsite odors can be detected.
f odors am detected,the company must add biofihers to the air exchange system.
ational Hog Farms may=land apply accumulated waste beginning March 1 in accordance wash
• ental regulations. Pro$ ions include a swine waste management plan approved by the State
Ddparrot t of Public Health r tEnvironment.
molding to the terms of the agreement,the company can begin operations again if it o ' a
fully ed permit and can `rtdciponsuate that at will be in compliance with all regulatory and pemta
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