Van Ham Dairy, owned by Jan Van Ham, and MVH, the custom manure applicator for the dairy, will pay $10,000 penalties to the state.

The fines resulted after Livestock Environmental Permitting Program (LEPP) inspectors with the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) discovered the discharges.

In July 2008, MVC, which is owned by Mark Van Ham, could not properly apply manure due to wet field conditions. Instead, the company allowed manure to be pumped from a lagoon to a fixed point in a field. The pumping was not monitored properly and the field flooded, sending the manure into a storm water catch basin and the ditch.

Following its investigation, ODA LEPP issued its report of the incident to Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for possible criminal enforcement.

As part of the plea agreement, both businesses also are required to place an announcement acknowledging their responsibility for the incident in an agricultural publication. The goal of the announcement and one aim of the state’s enforcement actions in this and other cases are to educate agricultural producers about the regulations and best management practices for manure management to prevent these incidents from occurring.

Technical assistance is available from the local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Ohio State University Extension service for developing conservation plans, including best management practices for nutrient management, manure management, and practices to minimize impacts to water quality, while improving crop and livestock production.

ODA LEPP engineers and inspectors can provide technical assistance to permitted livestock and poultry farms to improve or change structural or management practices.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program offers the opportunity for financial assistance for installation and implementation of best management practices.

Several of the Lake Erie and Mississippi River basin local grant opportunities include implementation incentives to encourage new best management practices.

For more information on manure management or agricultural best management practices, contact the ODA Livestock Environmental Permitting Program at (614) 387-0470 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or contact a local soil and water conservation district.