Centerville residents continue to push back against holding tank septic injection farming practices, while a local company says it is doing everything by the book.
Ray and Deb Kuhn, Centerville Township residents, said that holding tank sewage is not a typical farm odor, especially in the 25 years since they’ve become grape farmers.
“We have become familiar with the smell of spraying, of horses, of cattle, of sheep, and of pigs. The odors from raw holding tank septage are not that. Those odors, as well as the frequent truck traffic, every weekday from April to December, are awful enough,” Kuhn said. “The bigger problem is that the tankloads of raw holding tank septage being injected into farm fields contain household products, pharmaceuticals, and PFAS (forever) chemicals.”
Kuhn, among other residents formed Leelanau Citizens for Safe Sewage, has questioned Williams & Bay Pumping practices on the Eitzen property on South Good Harbor Trail, north of Cedar. Bob Eitzen did not respond to a request for comment.
Williams & Bay owner Lynden Johncock denies claims that odors are caused by holding tank waste-injection farming practices.
“What they are smelling is all the farming operations with cattle around there ... If they look into that and the concentration, that’s far higher than anything that we’re putting on those fields,” Johncock said.
Amid growing awareness of the dangers that PFAS and other chemicals pose to human health, Kuhn’s aim is to limit exposure wherever possible, including stopping the land application of raw, untreated holding tank septic waste on area farms.
“There are plenty of examples in history where products and practices that were once deemed useful later turned out to cause severe health problems, such as asbestos insulation, and lead in paint and gasoline. Aside from the immediate health concerns, we now understand that this practice has the potential to poison the water table forever. We hope to act now, before it’s too late for our farms,” Kuhn said.
Johnson said the land application process has been approved by the State of Michigan for decades under part 117 of Michigan legislation that lays out how holding tanks are applied and audited.
Johncock explained that holding tank septage is screened, checked for acidity levels, and applied using different methods, including injection into the ground.
“Every single component (is audited) and anybody can go and see. It is a very environmentally sound process that has been done for a very long time. This was approved by EGLE and the Benzie-Leelanau Health department,” Johncock said. “This becomes very emotional because people do not understand the actual process. We are just one small component of the farming operation.”
The holding tank waste becomes fertilizer used to grow crops for animal consumption, including cattle and a variety of other animals. Johncock reiterated that the health department is pleased with this land site specifically because it has heavy sand and is a safe distance from the water table.
The difference between a septic tank and a holding tank is that a septic tank treats wastewater on-site with a drain field, while a holding tank stores wastewater that must be pumped frequently. Septic tanks require pumping every 1-3 years, whereas holding tanks need to be pumped every one to four weeks.
Another Centerville resident, Scott Collins, also reports a problem with the smell, along with past lessons he has learned during his career as a Texas farmer in Johnson County.
“I bought some cattle (in the 1970s), and then my cattle started dying, and it was from upstream dumping of untreated and untested sewage. Now the watertable is contaminated with PFAS ... At least treat it and test it before going into the ground,” Collins said. “Nobody is checking the crop for forever chemicals. I wouldn’t want to be feeding my animals feed from any farm that does this.”
Johncock did explain that the cost of moving holding tank sewage would be roughly four to five cents per gallon more to transport to Traverse City. That cost can add up, being pumped multiple times a month, but Collins, who is not a customer of Williams & Bay, did say he wouldn’t have a problem putting up the extra coin if it meant a safer method.
