EPA Orders Farmer to Provide Drinking Water To Nearby Residence (PA)
PHILADELPHIA (July 19, 2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency has issued an emergency order under the Safe Drinking Water
Act to Kenneth Brockett, owner and operator of the Kenneth Brockett
Farm in Tyrone, Pa. after determining that the dairy farm has
caused or contributed to the contamination of a nearby
well.
The order requires the dairy farmer to provide
an alternative source of drinking water to the owners of the
contaminated well within 10 days of the effective date of the
agency’s order. The order also requires Kenneth Brockett to
pay for sampling of the contaminated well, and to develop an
effective plan to manage his dairy operation’s process
wastewater, and manure. Mr. Brockett has indicated to EPA that he
intends to comply with the order.
A November 2010 EPA inspection determined that
the Brockett farm was not taking adequate measures for managing
manure, allowing contaminants such as fecal coliform bacteria,
including E. coli, and ammonia to infiltrate underground sources of
drinking water through sinkholes on the farm property.
In recent years, EPA has been conducting
assessments of animal feeding operations in south central
Pennsylvania, particularly dairy operations, and has found that
there is wide spread non-compliance with state regulations and
extensive nutrient and pathogen contamination of drinking water
sources.
If not managed properly, animal feeding
operations can be sources of contaminants such as fecal coliform
bacteria, nitrate, and ammonia. These contaminants can endanger
human health, harm local water quality, and may also cause
detrimental effects to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
