20,000 gallons of liquid manure leaks onto land, into stream
A storage tank at a central Minnesota farm suffered a leak on Wednesday, sending 20,000 gallons of liquid manure spilling over nearby land and a waterway.
The spill happened in Albany, Stearns County, where 63-year-old Mark Leukam reported an ongoing manure leak from his above ground storage tank, which can hold 400,000 gallons of liquid manure.
At the time of the leak it was holding 350,000 gallons, of which 20,000 leaked into the surrounding "low land area," the Stearns County Sheriff's Office said.
"The low land area also contains an unnamed intermittent stream that flows easterly continuing through several miles of low land swampy area before connecting with Krain Creek, north of Two Rivers Lake," it added.
Stearns County Sheriff
The DNR and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency were informed as responders headed to the scene.
The leak was eventually stopped with a temporary fix, with a trench and dirt berm also dug to stop any future leaks until the tank can be fixed.
"On-going arrangements are being made to empty the tank so the area causing the leak can be repaired," the sheriff's office said.
"The MN Pollution Control Agency will continue to monitor the spill and pumping efforts, and work with the farm owner to mitigate the spill."
