April 1, 2015
Public comment deadline near on manure pit
DRYDEN — Public comments on a 3.2-million-gallon manure pit proposed for the town of Dryden will be accepted until Thursday, although residents are claiming they have not been adequately informed about the scope of the project.
The pit was proposed by Beck Farms, an industrial dairy Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, or CAFO. The manure storage pit is slated for lands near Dutcher and North roads.
Beck Farms is seeking permits toinstall 700 feet of manure transferpipelines from the main farm at 28 Red Mill Road to the manure storage facility. The farm needs state Department of Environmental Conservation permits certifying it will not interfere with water quality or freshwater wetlands.
“No one likes change, especially in their backyard. The reality is that it’s in my backyard also,” Russ Beck, owner of Beck Farms, said in an email this morning. “Beck Farms is going above and beyond the minimum engineering requirements by incorporating concrete and completely lining the structure with a commercial-grade impervious liner.”
Beck added that the proposed storage facility will save the farm 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year and it will also reduce truck traffic by about 900 loads yearly.
Dryden residents like Heather and Timothy Growe of 215 Dutcher Road are also concerned about how the project may impact the area.
Lorraine Moynihan Schmitt, an attorney representing the Growes, said Tuesday afternoon the biggest concern is the difference between how the project is described in the legal notice published in The Ithaca Journal on March 16 and the DEC application.
“I’ve spoken quite directly with my client and also their neighbors have similar concerns,” Schmitt said.
Residents are also concerned the state DEC is not requiring the project to be subjected to state environmental review, which would address any environmental impacts.
Residents are concerned the project will entail drilling holes and excavating an area to construct the manure pipeline under sensitive areas like Fall Creek and a state wetland. They also believe the application does not address the possibilities of manure leaking, a concern they highlight because of the pipeline’s proximity to a residential drinking well. They point out the pipeline would be constructed within 200 feet of a residential drinking well.
Schmitt added that her clients submitted comments to the DEC onMarch 18 based on a belief that the manure pit would be only 2.3 million gallons. A Dryden Town Planning Board meeting held March 26 disclosed that the proposed manure pit would actually be3.2 million gallons.
Dryden Town Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner said Tuesday afternoon that the town board has not been directly involved in the proposed project because such projects do not require town approval. She said the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District has been providing oversight. Sumner added that the state DEC is regulating the wetlands adjacent to the project.
Director Jon Negley of the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District said in an email this morning the agency is providing oversight to make sure the state Agriculture and Markets grants are being used to put plans and requirements in place “to protect the residents of Freeville, Tompkins County and New York state while making the farm viable to provide sustainable agriculture throughout the community.”
Written comments can be submitted to the state on or before Thursdayat the state DEC’s Cortland office on Fisher Avenue, or can be reached at (607) 753-3095, ext. 294.
To read this article and more, pick up today's Cortland Standard
Click here to subscribe