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News from Around the Farm World |
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Farm losses in tornado-hit Tenn. county top $29 million<br>
LAFAYETTE, Tenn. (AP) — Agriculture officials say farm losses in Macon County from last week’s storms could surpass $29 million.
The county’s livestock and tobacco industries were particularly hard hit by the tornado that claimed at least 13 lives in Macon and 18 more across the state. In all, the storm affected about 175 of the county’s farms.<br>
State Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens toured the farm damage Friday. He says it could take years to recover.<br>
Macon County extension agent Steve Walker says some farmers have sold their cattle early because they lack food or shelter. Others are quitting altogether because it would be too expensive to rebuild.<br>
Harmful chemicals found at Kentucky farm<br>
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — A report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found harmful chemicals in the soil and possibly groundwater on a farm leased to a nonprofit organization.<br>
The report by the federal agency turned up high concentrations of contaminants usually found at an oil refinery, such as lead and chemicals. The report says the contaminated soil poses “a potential direct contact threat to the public.”<br>
The state EPA began assessing the Lewis Farm in March 2004 after it received a report of oil seeping from the ground. The site was an oil refinery from 1905 to 1916. Rainbow’s End in the Bluegrass moved to the farm last fall. The group teaches youth life skills through horsemanship and Bible classes. Its operation has been on hold during the EPA assessment.<br>
Karen Zamora, program director of Rainbow’s End, said, “Of course it’s disappointing, but I would much rather be safe than sorry.”<br>
A cleanup will be required at the site, and another assessment will determine how long the process will take, EPA spokeswoman Laura Niles said. High concentrations of contaminants associated with a refinery, such as lead and chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were found throughout the site.<br>
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people can be exposed to PAHs through air, water or soil near hazardous waste sites. Prolonged exposure to PAHs has caused tumors in laboratory animals as well as damage to the skin, body fluids and immune system, but these effects have not been seen in people.<br>
But the EPA report said the contaminated soil poses “a potential direct contact threat to the public,” and “the actual or threatened oil discharges may impact surface water adjacent to the site.”<br>
Elkhorn Creek borders the Lewis Farm on three sides. Another assessment will probably look at the level of contaminants in the ground and surface water, Niles said. She said the assessment crew was aware that area residents drink city water, not ground water drawn through wells.<br>
The crews did not find significant levels of PAHs in the air, Niles said. The main concern is that the contaminated soil not be disturbed.<br>
“As far as surrounding residents, there are no releases that are occurring that should affect those residences because they are not drinking water from this site and we did not see any known releases of contaminants in the air,” Niles said.<br>
Zamora said she hopes to find other land that Rainbow’s End could use, but it is possible that Rainbow’s End may not continue.<br>
Two dead after accident at ADM plant in Illinois
DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — A corn processing plant in Decatur was back in operation Feb. 11 after a weekend accident that killed two longtime Archer Daniels Midland employees.<br>
The accident occurred when an air handling unit caught fire at the plant Feb. 10, ADM spokesman David Weintraub said in a statement. Killed were 46-year-old Jeffrey Miller and 55-year-old Charles Newgard. Both were from Decatur. Miller was a 17-year employee and Newgard worked at ADM for 33 years, the company said.<br>
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleagues,” Randy Kampfe, vice president of ADM’s corn processing group, said in a statement.<br>
Neither man had significant injuries or trauma, but both had symptoms of “significant carbon monoxide inhalation,” Macon County Coroner Michael Day said in a statement following autopsies Feb. 11 at a Springfield hospital.<br>
The deaths were classified as “undetermined” and will not become official until the results of lab testing, Day said.<br>
The incident sent about a dozen other ADM employees and eight firefighters to local hospitals. One employee continued receiving medical treatment the next day. All the others were treated and released.<br>
The cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said. |
| 2/20/2008 |
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