I’m front-paging this for the next day or two because it is likely to be over-looked otherwise, and this is a long-standing controversy that is finally going to get a public hearing by ANR.

Those who have been following the Cabot waste-spreading story will be interested to know that there will be an opportunity on October 12 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM to put questions about the operation directly to representatives of the Agency of Natural Resources.  

The grassroots group Whey To Go, which has repeatedly expressed concern about the operation and Agrimark/Cabot’s failure to build a wastewater treatment facility, are asking the public to attend the hearing at the Old Schoolhouse Common at 122 School St. in Marshfield.  Because the spraying permit held by Cabot Creamery (operated by Agrimark) is up for renewal, ANR has set-up this public hearing to “answer questions and take testimony from concerned citizens.”

Waste Water Doesn’t Belong on Farm Fields

Whey to Go offers the following summary of their issues and concerns regarding the operation:

– Cabot Creamery currently sprays 150,000 gallons of industrial waste water daily on Vermont farm fields and manure piles from Randolph to Craftsbury and Irasburg. Another 35,000 gallons/day of waste are pumped into holding pits on site.

– Whey is removed from the wastewater, processed, and sold to other food and supplement producers.

– The waste water includes a range of industrial cleaners and sanitizers that cause:

o Nausea, vomiting, and severe inflammation of the stomach and

intestinal tract

o Damage to the nose, throat, and respiratory tract

o Potentially, cancer

Cabot Creamery’s Withdrawal is Untested

– Cabot Creamery pulls 100,000 gallons/day of groundwater at their Cabot, VT plant. However, Cabot Creamery has never tested the capacity of the aquifer, and so could be threatening the groundwater source.

A History of Violations

– Cabot Creamery amassed 13 environmental violations in as many years between 1996 and 2009.

– In 1983 and again in 2005, Cabot Creamery spilled ammonia into the Winooski River damaging the river for miles. The 2005 spill killed an estimated 15,000 fish along 5.5 miles. Regulators discovered after the second spill that Cabot had not fulfilled its 1983 commitment to develop hazardous materials policies.

Cabot Should Live Up to Vermont’s Green Name

– According to the USDA, Cabot Creamery’s corporate owner, AgriMark, makes $575 million in sales annually. AgriMark should ensure Cabot Creamery lives up to Vermont’s green name and build a wastewater treatment system.

– AgriMark should provide for independent testing 1) to discover the capacity of the aquifer from which they draw, and restrict its water use at the Cabot plant to that level, and 2) to ensure neighbors’ wells aren’t contaminated with the chemicals and other pollutants stored at the Cabot plant.

Whey to Go may be reached through Jill Alexander:  4reiki@fairpoint.net