A drive by Gallatin Livestock Auction gives all appearances of good things happening. Business activity is up, with thousands of cattle crossing the auction block from week to week.
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Holding pens along West Grand Street are more free from manure than before, and sale barn owner Danny Froman is taking steps to make environmentally friendly changes to his business.
But his neighbor most directly affected by rain water running off the cattle holding pens says appearances are deceiving. In fact, Sharon Berten says contaminated water running off sale barn land and into a pond at her residence is much worse than when this problem prompted action against the sale barn by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with violation notices issued on May 11, June 22, and again on July 27 – measurably worse.
Storm water runoff, contaminated by manure, has led to a fish kill in Berten’s pond; the presence of E. coli bacteria, in unusually high counts, raises questions about health risks.
Ms. Berten privately commissioned two separate lab reports to analyze the pond water and to document contamination problems if civil litigation becomes necessary.
Last April Keystone Laboratories, Inc. of Kansas City reported fecal coliform bacteria in the pond water with nitrogen, nitrate levels far exceeding acceptable health limits. This report dated April 5 shows 90000 most probably number (MPN) of bacteria per 100 milliliters with the following notation:
“A total E coli result of ”1" to >200.5" indicates the presence of coliform bacteria in the submitted sample. A coliform result of “<1.0" is acceptable.” Thus, this report in April indicates that bacteria in the pond water sample was over 200 times what is considered acceptable.
A second lab report, dated July 30, shows contaminates had increased to 160,000 MPN per 100 milliliters of sampled water. This is a significant increase, even when considering how warmer weather conditions would naturally increase the number of probable bacteria.
Paul Dickerson of Missouri DNR says the health risk due to E. coli is short lived per runoff incident, but confirms that measurements recorded at the Berten pond are unusually high. This is why state officials are pushing to resolve the situation as soon as possible. State authorities continue to work with sale barn owner Danny Froman to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, manure in runoff water increases the nutrient content of the pond water which increases nitrogen levels that kill fish.
Last Thursday Sharon pointed to her scum-laden pond and numerous dead fish driven up against the pond bank by the wind as evidence. Conservation biologists inspecting the pond on Sept. 19, however, indicated no fish restocking would be necessary since fish remaining in the pond are expected to reproduce in the spring. But Sharon worries that repeated collections of contaminated water from each rainfall will eventually kill off all the fish in her pond.
“Whatever is being done is simply not enough,” Ms. Berten says. “An inch rain pushes runoff beyond the sediment basin that DNR forced the sale barn to build. And it keeps raining, and I just feel like I’m getting strung along.”
The reality is that the Berten pond, located northwest of the sale barn and north of West Grand Street, acts as the holding lagoon that the sale barn needs. So far, it has prevented much of the contaminated water from entering into waterways that eventually drain into the Grand River.
In frustration, Ms. Berten has toyed with the idea of cutting her pond dam to encourage state authorities to become more aggressive. Citations issued by the DNR do not have the same legal consequences as action from the Attorney General’s office. But realistically, Ms. Berten knows she risks legal consequences if she knowingly pollutes public waterways – even though she is not the cause but a victim of contaminated water.
This past week, from concern over public health risks, Ms. Berten posted warning signs at her pond at the recommendation of her insurance company. What was once a favorite scenic place for family gatherings and picnics now goes unused.
“I’ve tried to sell this property, and reduced my price by over $30,000 because of this contaminated water problem,” Sharon said. “But who’s going to want to buy this now?”
Ms. Berten is keenly aware of the financial burden that corrective steps might mean for the sale barn. Part of her own business success, in operating the Hard Times Corner Store, depends on sale barn traffic. The liquor store is located adjacent to the sale barn.
“I want the sale barn to succeed,” Sharon says. “I have no ill will against the sale barn apart from this problem. But what’s going on here just isn’t right.”
Ms. Berten is no stranger to farming or to cattle. She and her husband moved onto 160 acres of farmland near Winston after her husband left the Marine Corps 22 years ago. The couple developed their own cattle herd – even sold cattle at Gallatin Livestock Auction – while raising seven kids. Sharon recalls working hard, rising at 3 a.m. daily to milk and bottle feed calves in order to increase their herd.
Her husband, Jackie, died nine years ago. The farm was sold in order to pay off medical bills. Sharon has since lived near the sale barn at 1109 West Grand, raising her grandson, Bradley, where he could attend Gallatin R-5 Schools. She borrowed money to purchase the liquor store, and worries about losing customers over opinions being expressed about the contaminated runoff water situation. Ms. Berten wants people to know that the risk of E. coli in surface water (not an airborne threat) exists.
“Nothing really seems to be happening to fix this,” says Ms. Berten. “We’ve made lots of calls, but the DNR seems content to allow the sale barn more time even as things just get worse. I don’t want to cause trouble. I just don’t want contaminated water to run onto my property and destroy my pond.”