Newkirk, Iowa — A March manure spill south of Newkirk has resulted in a $15-hundred civil penalty against the manure application company responsible for the spill.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources Spencer Field Office responded to the report of a manure spill about a half mile south of Newkirk on March 9th of this year. 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 causing between 5-hundred and a thousand gallons of manure to leak out and reach a nearby unnamed tributary to the Floyd River before the leak was discovered.
DNR officials at the time of the spill credited Jochum’s quick response with minimizing the amount of manure to reach the tributary.
On Thursday of this week, (July 27th) the Iowa DNR released an Administrative Consent Order outlining the results of tests performed on the waterway shortly after the spill, along with civil sanctions that will be imposed upon Jochum Agri-Services. According to the Consent Order, Jochum Agri-Services will be required to pay an administrative penalty of $15-hundred for the spill.
According to the Consent Decree, Iowa Code allows for a civil penalty of up to $10-thousand in manure spill cases.
Jochum and the DNR both agreed to the $15-hundred penalty, which must be paid within 30-days.
To see the Administrative Consent Decree in this matter, CLICK HERE.
