Worth County farmer fined $4500 for violations of state’s manure management plan laws

MANLY — A Worth County farmer has been fined $4500 for violations of the state’s manure management plan laws.

Craig Benjegerdes owns and operates an animal feeding operation in rural Manly which consists of confinement buildings housing 2900 wean to finish swine. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says an environmental specialist conducted a routine inspection of the facility and the facility’s manure application records on November 16th. The DNR says the records indicated that manure was applied above the maximum allowable rate in the manure management plan for the crop years between 2017 and 2021.

Benjegerdes also indicated that he routinely applies about 50 pounds of commercial nitrogen fertilizer per acre on the fields that receive manure, and that was not accounted for in the manure management plan. The DNR issued a notice of violation on December 17th.

The DNR also says Benjegerdes failed to timely submit annual plan updates and fees by the June 1st deadline for eight years between 2011 and 2020, as well as failed to submit complete Phosphorus Index plans and fees by June 1st for the other two years during that time period.

Benjegerdes as part of a consent order agrees to apply manure at rates consistent with the facility’s manure management plan, submit an updated plan that reflects the application of commercial nitrogen, sample the manure at the facility on an annual basis for the next four years, and pay a $4500 administrative penalty.