DNR: Dairy farm altered construction plans without spill protection

(Photo by Scott Bauer/USDA Agricultural Research Service)

A northeast Iowa dairy farm modified its manure control system for an expansion of its operation without state approval and did not install a barrier to contain potential leaks, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Brian and Carole Sipley, of Fredericksburg, recently agreed to pay a $5,000 fine, a DNR order said. They further will construct a containment structure around a large metal tank that holds manure water and post a sign nearby that alerts anyone who digs in the area that there is underground plumbing that goes to the tank.

The Sipleys operate BCS Farms and got approval from the DNR in May 2023 to build a new confinement barn to hold about 150 dairy cattle. They initially proposed to use an underground system that recirculates and filters water that is used to wash manure from the barn floor.

The expansion increased the farm’s capacity to about 1,130 mature dairy cattle and 625 immature cattle, DNR records show.

In November during a visit to the site, a DNR officer noted that a different washing system had been installed with a tank that holds water that is collected from manure storage basins. Dairy farms often reuse the water to conserve their water usage.

“It’s not that it’s not acceptable to us, it’s just not what was in the permit,” said Brian Jergenson, a senior environmental specialist for the department.

Further, the Sipleys had populated the new barn with cattle before they received written approval from the DNR, which was also required by the permit.

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