Manure spill on Stearns County dairy farm contained

Pollution control officials are monitoring a liquid manure spill on a central Minnesota dairy farm that threatened a nearby stream.

Mark Leukam of Albany, Minn., reported an ongoing leak from his liquid manure storage tank on Tuesday.

The above-ground storage tank contained about 350,000 gallons of manure. Stearns County officials estimate about 20,000 gallons leaked into a lowland area.

A nearby stream flows through several miles of swamp before connecting with Krain Creek, north of Two Rivers Lake. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spokesperson Stephen Mikkelson said there's no indication of any impact to either the creek or the lake.

Mikkelson said it appears a faulty valve caused the spill. He said it's too early to say whether the farmer will face a permit violation.

"At this point indications are that the landowner acted quickly and did the things that they're supposed to do — contacting the [state] duty officer — so cleanup crews were able to get out there pretty quickly,” Mikkelson said.

Responders dug a trench and built a dirt berm to contain any more leaks until the tank can be fixed. They used vacuum trucks to collect the manure, which will be applied to land, Mikkelson said.

Mikkelson said the size of the spill is significant, but such spills are very rare.

The MPCA will continue to monitor the area.

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