DEQ faults Croswell farm for fish kill

August 19, 2009

Michigan?s Department of Environmental Quality said Noll Dairy Farm is the source of manure that lead to a massive fish kill in the Black River last week.


Bob McCann, the DEQ?s spokesman, said officials saw the runoff from the Croswell family farm going into a creek that flows to the Black River.
?It was still running when we got there last week, but at this point it has stopped,? McCann said.
At this time, McCann said it is unclear if the farm will face fines.
?We need to figure out why and how it happened before we can get to that point,? he said.
The fish kill killed thousands of fish in the river throughout a 12-miles stretch from about 3 miles south of Croswell in Sanilac County to the middle of the Port Huron State Game Area in St. Clair County.
Officials estimated a total wipe out of the two dozen species that lived in the area.
A person who answered the phone at the farm said the family would not have a comment.
The Noll Dairy Farm started in 1925 and is now on its fourth generation, according Michigan Farmer.
In 2008, the group reported that the family farm has 140 milk cows and was working to get up to 220.
It said the farm also raises 100 to 125 feeder steers each year and also farms 2,000 acres of corn, soybean, wheat, sugar and alfalfa.
Michigan Farmer also reported that: ?As for environmental concerns, ?We take a proactive approach,? Michael (Noll) says. ?We don?t spread manure in the winter; we spread on wheat stubble in the summer. We use it all on our own land.??