An estimated 640,000 gallons of manure leaked out of a above ground storage tank at the Kurt DeGrave farm, west of County Trunk C, on County D in the Town of Brussels, early Tuesday morning. The problem was discovered at about 4AM and is one of the largest spills of its kind in Wisconsin in recent years. Since the spill’s discovery, the focus has been on containing the material. Jason Lowrey of the Department of Natural Resources told WDOR News that, while the manure made it to a dry creek bed, it did not make it to the waters of Spring Creek. A total of five berms were constructed to hold the material in place and nine trucks were sent to the scene to help in the manure cleanup. DNR staff were also sent to the farm to monitor the work. Lowrey says it could take several days before the spill is dealt with completely. He says the investigation will try to determine how the spill occurred, although an initial report indicated that a door on the storage tank may have been left open. Lowrey says a spill of this magnitude in Door County is always a concern because of the shallow soil and fractured bed rock. He says having adequate soil in the spill area would make a big difference.
