You may remember that a small group of concerned neighbors to the Agrimark facility in Cabot (Whey to Go) tried unsuccessfully last fall and winter to dissuade the ANR from issuing a permit to increase the amount of waste the plant could disperse in the area.  They raised questions about the composition of the waste, anecdotal evidence that some components posed a risk of toxicity; and asked why the wastewater facility that Agrimark was supposed to build had never materialized.

Now, a new twist has been added to the story.  It seems that Agrimark has indirectly applied to the ANR for permits to drill wells in several locations on the property.  When adjacent landowners were notified of the application, they were puzzled why Agrimark’s representatives would only now be asking for permits for what appear to be already existing wells.   Whey to Go Spokesman, Jill Alexander contacted me about this more than a week ago, but I was waiting for clarification she had requested from the ANR before posting about this story.

Today, I received the following from Jill:

To my fellow petition signers,

First, thank you for signing our petition and sharing your concerns regarding Agri-Mark’s, (DBA Cabot Creamery) waste water spraying.  We need your help again.

The Agency of Natural Resources recently discovered that, for the past 20 years, Agri–Mark, DBA Cabot Creamery has unlawfully withdrawn tens of thousands of gallons of water each day from their unpermitted wells.  Instead of reprimanding Agri-Mark, or investigating whether this has depleted Cabot’s water supply, ANR intends to permit Agri-Mark’s water wells!

We need you to voice your concern by requesting a public hearing before the June 10th deadline.

Agri-Mark’s plan is to pull 15,000 gallons of water per day from these water wells, but the company has no plan to assess how this would affect others in the area.  Plus, ANR would count on Agri-Mark to report its own water withdrawal.  Agri-Mark has chalked up a long list of permit violations.  Why should they be trusted with our water?

Here’s how to weigh in and request a public hearing: (Application PID N-2049-07.0 under 10 VSA, Section 1675 (c).)

1.  Email Rodney Pingree at the Water Supply Division, 103 South Main Street, Waterbury, Vt.  05671 @ rodney.pingree@state.vt.us. and also Scott Stewart @ Scott.Stewart@state.vt.us. who is also at the Water Supply Division of ANR.

2.  Please cc:  sandra.noyes@yahoo and Jill Alexander @ 4reiki@fairpoint.net so we can keep track.

She reports that:

we have unearthed some very disturbing information about what is happening with this well issue.  My overflow has gone dry as well as my neighbor’s overflow so this is urgent before we potentially have our water drained by Agri-Mark.

Sounds as if Agrimark and ANR have some explaining to do.  How about that public hearing, ANR?

Here is a convenient link to the original diary I posted on November 9, 2009