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Monday, December 28, 2009

Environment - Michigan environmental agency files suit against Vreba-Hoff dairies

A December 27th story in the Richmond Paladium-Item reports:

LANSING, Mich. -- The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality filed a lawsuit last week alleging hundreds of new permit violations at Vreba-Hoff dairies in Hudson.

"Once again we find ourselves having to ask the court to enforce the numerous agreements that Vreba-Hoff has failed to live up to, and enough is enough," DEQ Director Steven E. Chester said in a press release. "Most CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) in Michigan work hard to be environmentally responsible members of their communities. It is unfortunate that Vreba-Hoff refuses to adhere to the most fundamental laws that we have in Michigan to keep our precious water resources safe."

The violations of the company's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems permit stem from its alleged failure to meet treatment limits established in the permit.

The limits were imposed through the June 2007 modification of a previous court order requiring Vreba-Hoff to treat all waste produced by its two CAFOs. Collectively the two CAFOs house about 5,000 animals. * * *

This lawsuit is the fourth the state has filed against Vreba-Hoff Dairy Development, which is headquartered in Ohio and has several dairies in Indiana, over its management of CAFO waste.

See also this Dec. 23rd ILB entry headed "Lawyers target [Indiana] pig, dairy farms: Attorneys seek justice for neighbors allegedly injured by pork and dairy producers."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 28, 2009 12:20 PM
Posted to Environment