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• rd i i rapt� ! State of Wisconsin \ DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Southern District Carroll D. Besadny 3911 Fish Hatchery Road Secretary Fitchburg, WI 53711-5397 February 17, 1987 3430 Mr. Lyman F. Anderson, Chairman DANE COUNTY riSr Agriculture, Environmental and Land Records er, ^'_- `" Room 116 - City County Bldg. Madison, WI 53709 FEB 191987 Subject: Corn Silage Stack f' W Dear Mr. Anderson: Jerry Rodenberg and I wish to thank you for permitting the Department of Natural Resources to express its concerns, at your Committee Board Meeting on February 10, 1987 . At issue was the corn silage stack on the Elgin Porter farm on Portage Road, in the town of Windsor, Dane County. I trust that our participation at that meeting will prove to be helful in making an informed decision on the need to regulate these types of facilities which receive corn silage on vegetable cuttings from food processing plants. During the past few years the Department has documented a number of cases of both groundwater and surface water pollution from corn silage stack leachate. The Department has also received numerous nuisance complaints relative to odors, dust, traffic noise and hazards, spillage of stack juices on highways, etc. At the present time, the Department of Natural Resources does not have the direct Administrative authority needed to regulate silage stacks. Our involvement has been limited to the investigation of complaints received about existing stacks. We intend to modify NR 214 this year to allow the Department to regulate some of the larger silage stacks. I recommend that you follow the development of this code modification closely so Dane County may have the opportunity to submit comments and recommendations. Should the county adopt conditional use permits for corn silage stack operations, the Department believes the following conditions should be addressed to control water pollution and nuisance problems: 1. Location - Distance to wells or a reservoir for location of storage ponds are addressed in Table 1 - SCS section IV Technical Guide. Silage fermentation can produce an obnoxious , putrified odor. Topography, prevailing winds, residential zoning and long term planning, would place restrictions as to distance from habitation. Ingress and regress of vehicular traffic at silage stack sites should also be considered in selecting site location. Distant requirements and locations of sites can best be addressed by local authorities who are familiar with the surrounding area.