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Little River manure pit gets variance

May 1, 2017, Little River, WI – A plan to construct a 12.2 million gallon manure pit in the town of Little River is moving ahead over the objections of neighbors and clean water advocates, who expressed fears it would leak and foul nearby wells and waterways.

More than 50 people at an April 10 hearing at the Little River Town Hall wanted the Oconto County Land Conservation Committee to deny a variance request by B & D Dairy, a Marinette County farm northeast of Pound.

LCC members, though, unanimously approved the variance. One member noted that the county was powerless was stop construction of such a facility even if the variance was denied, but the plan presented appeared to the best considering the terrain.

A county ordinance requires a 250-foot setback from the adjoining property line, which happens to be across Hillcrest Lane. The east edge of pit – to be located on the west side of Hillcrest Road just south of County Highway A – would be 153 feet from that line.

The possible locations are narrowed because of underground gas lines and a creek, which will be the required 300 feet away. As for wells, the one serving the property is about 700 feet away, with wells of neighbors about 1,200 and 1,300 feet away. READ MORE