July 17, 2007
 

Heavy rains troubling Oklahoma hog producers

 

 

Three months of heavy rain in Oklahoma have filled hundreds of hog waste lagoons throughout the state, The Oklahoman reported on its Web site.

 

In June, 39 hog producers -- out of a total of 302 in the state -- asked for emergency applications to pump fluid waste out of the lagoons to prevent overflowing.

 

State Agriculture, Food and Forestry Department spokesman Jack Carson called the emergency applications "the least negative outcome we can hope for."

 

Hog producers have worked to control their lagoons and deter any potential problems, Carson told the newspaper, if rains continue the resulting flooding could put many rivers, streams, and lakes at risk for contamination from hog waste.

 

State laws require a system that can manage more rainfall without catastrophic spillovers according to Rich Robinson, president-elect of the Oklahoma Pork Council and a Holdenville hog producer.

 

"We work really hard to try and keep on top of this stuff and the way we've been going now it's been very successful," Robinson said.

 

The Environmental Protection Agency has been monitoring the situation and says it doesn't expect any adverse impact from the applications.

 

Oklahoma state law requires hog lagoons must be built to handle the most intense 24- hour rainfall received in 25 years, but that amount varies from county to county, according to the newspaper.

 

On a daily basis, hog producers must record rainfall and produce weekly inspections of the lagoon levels.

 

In circumstances such as these recent events, Robinson said the lagoons are inspected daily.

 

Producers who requested emergency applications came from nine counties: Hughes, Seminole, Bryan, Pottawatomie, Okfuskee, Kingfisher, Blaine, Caddo and Payne.