PUBLIC NOTICE Date of Notice: October 3, 2018 Name of Facility: Heitbrink Swine Farm, LLC 1623 Minster-Egypt Pike Minister, Ohio 45865 Name and address of applicant: Heitbrink Swine Farm, LLC 6750 Luella Street Fort Loramie, Ohio 45845 In accordance with OAC rule 901:10-6-01, public notice is hereby given that the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is accepting comments on a draft Permit to Operate (PTO) renewal for the facility called “Heitbrink Swine Farm, LLC” which is located at 1623 Minster-Egypt Pike, Minster, Ohio 45865 in Auglaize County, Jackson Township, in the Upper Great Miami Watershed. If the final permit is issued, the PTO would be valid for five years. Copies of the draft permit can be reviewed and/or copies made at the Division of Livestock Environmental Permitting (DLEP) office at: A.B. Graham Building, 8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068, (614) 387-0470. Any person may submit written comments and/or request a public meeting on the draft permit. A request for a public meeting must be in writing and shall state the nature of the issues to be raised at the public meeting. Comments and/or public meeting requests must be received by the DLEP office no later than 5 p.m. on November 2, 2018. Comments can either be mailed to the address above or emailed to lepp@agri.ohio.gov . Comments received after this date will not be considered. A public meeting will be held when required by OAC 901:10-6-04(C) and may be held where authorized by OAC 901:10-6-01(D). Persons have a right to provide a written or oral statement for the record at the public meeting, if a meeting is scheduled. The Division of Livestock Environmental Permitting maintains an “interested parties” list for each Ohio county as well as a statewide list for notification of all draft permits. If you would like to be added to either or both of these lists, please send a request to lepp@agri.ohio.gov or call 614-387-0470. Heitbrink Swine Farm LLC Draft Permit to Operate Renewal General overview of the farm The existing swine facility named “Heitbrink Swine Farm, LLC” is located at 1623 Minster-Egypt Pike, Minster, Ohio. The facility is situated in Auglaize County, Jackson NW Township, in the Upper Great Miami Watershed. It is owned by Heitbrink Swine Farm, LLC and operated by Tony Heitbrink. The facility consists of two finishing barns, each with a design capacity of 2,400 head of swine weighing more than 55 pounds. The overall design capacity is 4,800 head of swine weighing more than 55 pounds. This represents no change in animal numbers from the previous permit. The liquid manure is stored in concrete pits located below the housing areas of each barn. Each pit is capable of storing 1,033,500 gallons of manure, which provides over a year’s worth of storage. The facility also has a mortality composting structure, which can store approximately 6,000 cubic feet of compost material, providing well over two years’ worth of storage capacity as well. General overview of the draft Permit to Operate Within the draft Permit to Operate (PTO), a manure management plan is provided which outlines different inspections and monitoring activities that must be completed. Approximately 1,220,000 gallons of liquid manure and 30 tons of mortality compost material will be generated annually. All of the compost material and the liquid manure would be land applied on approximately 756 acres of nearby fields as an organic nutrient replacement for commercial synthetic fertilizers. A detailed Insect and Rodent Control Plan is required to minimize the presence and negative effects of insects and rodents. The plan details which types of pests could potentially cause problems and how the facility will prevent those problems from occurring. The plan explains what preventative measures and treatments are available and how and when they might be employed. Details regarding the Insect and Rodent Control Plan can be found in the draft PTO. A Mortality Management Plan is required for the disposal of dead livestock. Approved methods of disposal are burying, landfilling, burning, rendering and composting. The facility plans to continue to use mortality composting as the primary method to manage mortality losses. An Emergency Response Plan is required to ensure that emergencies are handled quickly and efficiently to maintain the safety of the environment, wildlife and water supplies and resources. The plan also identifies procedures to be followed during an emergency, such as a spill or discharge, as well as contact information for those who would need to be notified in the event of an emergency. Finally, an Operating Record is included that provides all forms and information that must be maintained by the facility to show compliance with ODA’s rules and the permit. These records document inspection of the manure storage structures, groundwater sampling, manure characterization, land application, insect and rodent control, distribution and utilization of manure, and mortality management. The facility and its records are regularly inspected by the ODA to ensure compliance.
Oct 03, 2018