VAN WERT —A proposed manure storage pond lagoon faces opposition, with opponents saying it’s located over an important water aquifer and too close to a river that provides drinking water to Delphos.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture is holding a public meeting on a draft Permit to Install (PTI) for Triple R Farms at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds, 1055 S. Washington St., Van Wert.
The draft permit to operate proposes the construction of a manure storage pond lagoon at 14364 state Route 81, Vendocia, with a capacity of approximately 9.6 million gallons, sufficient for more than a year’s storage.
Sandy Bihn, of Lake Erie Waterkeeper Inc., said she was worried about the lagoon’s specific location.
“The proposed 9.6-million gallon manure lagoon would be located over the Allen County Sole Source Aquifer, which is the drinking water source for over 20,000 people including Spencerville, and about 600 feet from the Little Auglaize River, which is the drinking source for Delphos,” she said. “The lagoon would be built above and below grade with four-and-a-half feet of clay on the bottom.”
Interested parties may appear at the meeting and submit oral and written comments concerning the permit. They may also submit written comments to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Livestock Environmental Permitting, 8995 E. Main St, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 43068. Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. Nov. 6.
According to Bihn, Lake Erie Waterkeeper, Inc., is reviewing the lagoon application and will submit oral and written comments.
More information regarding the lagoon can be found online at lakeeriewaterkeeper.org.
Triple R Farms, Inc., a swine finishing facility owned by Pupcreek Livestock, LLC, D & K Livestock, The Roger W. Rank and Karen K. Rank Revocable Trust, and Kaleb S. Rank, features three barns with a total capacity of 7,200 swine over 55 pounds.
Each barn includes a concrete pit for about 840,000 gallons of liquid manure, providing approximately 304 days of storage, along with three mortality composting structures offering over a year’s worth of storage.
Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351
