Spencer Man Fined for Contaminating Area Wetlands with Manure
Thursday, August 14th, 2014 -- 11:43 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -The owner of a Marathon County dairy farm has been fined for not preventing a manure storage tank from spilling excess waste that he knew was contaminating area wetlands for about a year.According to the Wisconsin Ag Connection, Patrick Willcome of Spencer pleaded no contest to violating state water pollution laws earlier this month after the state's natural resources department was tipped off anonymously about the situation.
According to reports, about 600,000 gallons leaked from September of last year to May, with some of the waste making its way to the nearby Little Eau Pleine River. Willcome was fined $460 for the violation.
The manure from the 120-cow farm had earlier been hauled away with manure spreaders. But when the equipment broke down, Willcome apparently allowed the extra manure to flow out of the structure and onto the ground.
The DNR said Willcome cooperated with its investigation and has paid the cost of cleaning up the spilled manure.
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