July 26, 2006

Department of Environmental Quality Deputy Director Skip Pruss today toured one of Lenawee County’s largest Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to view an innovative treatment system installed by the CAFO’s owner, Vreba-Hoff Dairy LLC. The treatment system, located at one of two local CAFOs operated by Vreba-Hoff, will be used to treat wastes from the approximately 6,200 cows housed by the two dairies, known as Vreba-Hoff I and Vreba-Hoff II.

"This system is a real example of the technology that is available today to make large farms more protective of our state's vast water resources," said Deputy Director Pruss. "We will continue to work with farmers across the state to encourage this type of environmentally friendly operation."

Vreba-Hoff agreed to install the wastewater treatment system at a cost of approximately one million dollars through a settlement with the DEQ entered in December 2004. The completed system, located at the Vreba-Hoff I facility, began operating in February and includes:

• A press treatment system, consisting of a press, clarifier, and
  thickener for the purposes of separating liquids from solids, binding
  phosphorus in an insoluble form, and otherwise improving the quality
  of treated wastewater;

• Composting of solids from the press treatment system, bedded pack
  manure, and waste feed; and

• Aeration of liquids from the press treatment system, wash water from
  equipment, laundry and milk houses, and runoff contaminated with
  silage leachate, feed, or manure.

Effluent from the aerated pond will be discharged to a reduced land area through an advanced irrigation system calibrated such that no unlawful discharge occurs during or after irrigation. With the treatment system now operational, Vreba-Hoff has agreed to cease all land application of untreated agricultural waste.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future

Revised July 26, 2006 by Pat Watson