UPDATE: Newkirk Manure Spill Quickly Contained

Iowa DNR

Newkirk, Iowa — A major environmental impact was averted Thursday morning when a commercial manure applicator spilled between 500 and 1,000 gallons of manure while applying it to a farm field.

Ken Hessenius, of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the technology being used by the commercial manure applicator helped prevent a larger-scale spill.

Hessenius says most, if not all, of the spilled manure was captured behind the temporary dam.

He says that, while the spill was relatively small, the DNR will be looking at potential penalties against the commercial applicator.

That manure spill happened about 11:30 Thursday morning, a half mile south of Newkirk.


Original Post 6:35 pm Thursday 3/9/17

Newkirk, Iowa — The DNR Spencer field office responded Thursday to a small manure spill about a half mile south of Newkirk, in Sioux County.

According to the DNR, a commercial manure applicator, Brad Jochum of Le Mars, was land applying manure from Hickory Hill Dairy of Newkirk when a drag hose developed a leak late Thursday morning.

Jochum reportedly shut off the pump, but between 500 and 1,000 gallons of manure spilled, according to the DNR.  They say an unknown amount reached an unnamed tributary to the Floyd River.

DNR Specialist on-site, Lois Benson says the hose contents were under pressure, but because of the quick response little escaped.  Benson says Jochum built a dam across the creek and pumped out most of the manure, all within a few hours.

Benson took water samples for testing, but said it looked as if little, if any, manure moved downstream. She says she did not see any dead fish below the dam.

The DNR will monitor the cleanup and consider appropriate enforcement action, according to Benson.

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