Illinois EPA Refers Huston Cattle Company to Attorney General for Enforcement

SPRINGFIELD— Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Lisa Bonnett has referred an enforcement action to the Illinois Attorney General’s office against Mike and Tina Huston, doing business as Huston Cattle Company, for causing or allowing the discharge of cattle waste into a nearby creek.

Huston Cattle Company, a cattle management and feedlot operation owned and operated by Mike and Tina Huston, is located about one mile north of the Village of Roseville in rural Warren County. The property contains approximately 475 head of cattle with a feedlot situated on a slope just north of the creek. Illinois EPA conducted a routine inspection of the facility on April 9, 2014, and subsequently sought enforcement action against the company.

The Illinois EPA inspection identified numerous violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and Illinois Pollution Control Board Regulations pertaining to water pollution.  The inspector observed a significant volume of manure solids in the draining paths leading to the creek, and noted that there were no structures to contain liquid runoff and that the facility was not equipped with liquid manure handling structures. The facility had not developed a Nutrient Management Program for proper management of livestock waste and had several dead cattle on the property left open to the elements.

In the referral, the Agency noted the excessive, substantial volumes of livestock wastes, inadequate handling of mortalities, apparent overflow of livestock wastes to the ground and the receiving water. The Agency asked the Attorney General to obtain an immediate order requiring numerous compliance measures be taken by the owners, including immediately: ceasing the discharge of wastewater, livestock waste, manure and other contaminants from the facility; scraping and collecting manure solids from the property; and providing complete cover for the cattle mortality area. The Agency also requested that the facility maintain records of loads and quantity of manure and other contaminants collected and that Illinois EPA representatives be allowed unrestricted access to the facility.