Online: The Five Year Report of the Committee.

Monitoring activities

There are three main catagories of monitoring: water, soil and odour (air).

Water

The water monitoring system established the baseline in the fall of 2000 because SCWMC wanted to know what water quality prior to any hog production taking place. SCWMC continues to monitor during the hog production to identify if there is any change taking place, and if there is, to determine why.

SCWMC established a broad baseline of water quality near the three proposed barn sites.

In late October of 2000, committee members conducted a phone blitz of residents within a three-mile radius (5 km) of the three barn sites to identify both surface and ground water supplies that would be sampled.

A total of 37 dugouts and 11 wells within the three-mile radius of the hog barns were sampled in November and early December of 2000. Two samples were submitted to separate labs and the results were compared to ensure accuracy.

Spring water sampling began in mid-April and was completed by the end of May, 2001. Runoff samples were collected at 15 sites located both upstream and downstream of the three barn sites. In addition 21 wells, 58 dugouts, and two reservoirs were sampled.

All of the results of water sampling will be used to compare with future samples.

Results of the water sampling can be found here.

Soil

The objective of the monitoring program is to measure and report on the possible environmental impacts in the Spirit Creek Watershed when manure from the hog barns is injected on land as a nutrient source.

The committee has engaged Keith Head of Head & Associates to provide the technical expertise to design and carry out the project. The project started in 2000 and will be completed in 2005. It will endeavor to provide factual information, which will be relevant to assist the committee in carrying out its mandate from the Minister of Agriculture.

The program will monitor the effect that pig manure has on the soils when it is applied within provincial government guidelines as a crop production input.

The program focuses on five major areas of activity:

• The Benchmark Program: Areas considered to be representative of soils at each of the three barn sites are sampled to establish benchmark values for nutrients in the soil prior to manure application;
• Manure/Fertilizer Comparison: Each of the benchmarked areas will be divided into two areas. One will be fertilized with commercial fertilizer and one with hog manure. Crops from each will be monitored separately for yield, and soil samples will be taken to establish nutrient content of each;
• Yearly Monitoring: Samples will be taken yearly until 2005 to track nutrient movement in each of the benchmarked fields;
• Additional Special Benchmarks: Samples were taken from two additional parcels in each of 2002 and 2003. These will be used for future reference if required.
• Reports and Data Management: All sample sites will be GPS referenced and data for present and future analysis will be securely stored. All consultants reports will be received, reviewed and acted upon as appropriate. Copies of all lab reports from soil and manure samples will be on file with the committee.

Results of soil sampling can be found here.

SCWMC has received concerns regarding the odour of the hog barns. Since the odour is a concern for some people residing near the hog barns, the issue is being investigated.

In November of 2001, SCWMC developed an odour reporting form. In December 2001, these forms were distributed to 142 residents living within a five-mile radius of the three hog barns (farrowing, nursery and finishing barn).

The forms were asked to be returned every month, regardless of how many odour events were detected and recorded.

Details about odour surveys can be found here.