Supervisor raises stink over county manure rules 
by Brian Wilson
The Star News
November 12, 2009 —  The Taylor County Land Conservation Committee will make changes in its plans to amend Chapter 63 of the county code in the area of animal manure and nutrient management.
The rule changes were referred back to the conservation committee after county board supervisor Dave Bizer, a dairy farmer from the Town of Browning, raised concerns when it was brought to the last full county board session in October. The proposed rule changes to the six-year-old ordinance are intended to regulate large concentrated farming operations like the possible North Breeze Dairy in the Town of Little Black. Bizer has argued the changes would only be a minor nuisance to the builders of a large operation but could be a major hurdle for smaller operators in the county.
Among Bizer's biggest objections and victories won at Monday's meeting of the committee were changes in language he felt were vague in the ordinance proposal. The proposal had set a time limit based on working days for the county's conservation department. Bizer has objected to the wording saying while working days in an office may mean Monday to Friday, farmers and people working on projects like new manure pits often include Saturday and Sunday in their week. With the addition of concepts like furlough days adding to the confusion, he suggested and the committee adopted the idea of setting the clock based on calendar days to complete the permitting process. Staff and committee members have said the extended time periods are necessary as the larger operations may require more time for study of the more extensive plans.
The committee has also looked at adding a fee schedule to the permit process based on the number of animal units which could be accommodated by construction such as new manure pits or storage systems. Bizer again said a $1 per animal fee does nothing to deter a large expansion but presents hardships to smaller operations. "Fair? Fair for what? It's not going to scare the big guy away," Bizer said.
The committee's recommendations will now be forwarded back to the entire county board for action. The next meeting of the Taylor County Board could be as late as April 2010, meaning the change would be acted on by the board elected earlier in April. Thus, this committee and every other county board committee are now in a six month lame duck status.

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