MIKE MASTERSON: Email timeline

Waste or clay?

In March 2015, the University of Arkansas' Division of Agriculture's Big Creek Research and Extension Team retained Oklahoma State University geology professor and hydrologist Todd Halihan and associate Jon Fields to perform electrical resistivity imaging studies on waste spray fields used by owners of C&H Hog Farms at Mount Judea.

The Big Creek team was formed under former Gov. Mike Beebe to monitor waste discharges from the swine factory located in the watershed of our country's first national river, the majestic Buffalo. The team's dual role was also to help this factory farm supported by Cargill Inc. of Minnesota become environmentally sustainable in the sensitive ecological area underlain by fractured limestone known as karst.

I'm covering some previously trod ground here. Yet it's necessary to lay groundwork for the context of what follows.

During the field studies, Halihan secured permission to perform scans beneath the two waste lagoons at the factory site. That's when he discovered a large plume of what appears to be waste leaking from one pond deep underground and a possible fracture through which he suspected hog waste was flowing.

While it's unknown when Halihan delivered the results of his findings to the Big Creek team, it is known the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (cough) and the Pollution Control and Ecology Commission say they were never told of Halihan's disturbing results until the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance disclosed them during a commission meeting in April.

We also know the Big Creek team, headed by professor Andrew Sharpley, a professor with the University of Arkansas' Division of Agriculture, has continually said its members saw no reason to drill in the plume area Halihan suspected of fracture and leakage because his team believes it to be clay rather than waste. As of late last month, however, the state says a truth-revealing test well finally will be done (presumably into the relevant location of the suspicious plume) to determine the truth of what lies beneath: clay or hog waste.

Whew! Now, to today's point.

While I don't know precisely when the Big Creek team knew of Halihan's discovery of this possible major fracture, logic tells me it wasn't long after he'd completed and submitted the scans they'd contracted him to perform in March 2015.

But the following email thread between members of the team and Sharp-ley leaves no doubt this tax-supported official monitor of protecting the Buffalo knew the results by mid-October 2015, eight months before the Department of Environmental Quality and the Pollution Control and Ecology Commission say the Watershed Alliance informed them.

The exchanges all were sent on the morning of Oct. 16, 2015, and obtained by the alliance through Freedom of Information Act requests made to the U.S. Geological Service.

Participants in the thread are UA Agriculture professor and extension engineer Karl VanDevender, Tim Kresse with the Geological Service, Phillip Hays with the UA Department of Geosciences, and Sharpley.

From: Kresse, to Sharpley and others--Subject: Re: Fields-Halihan presentation: "I saw the presentation. There were no difficulties at all and it was a good presentation. I did chat with Todd and Jon some about the pond results, and Phil joined in on the second half of that conversation. We can chat about that sometime. In short, it would be nice to put a well on the west side in the vicinity of where Todd believed he saw a major fracture and movement of waste. This could be critical to resolving the interpretation of the resistivity data. Todd would be willing to assist on getting the drilling done for free. I just don't know the amount of grief or worry this would cause, in lieu of all the activity at the farm, but again I believe it is a critical component. Todd is fairly confident of his interpretation. Thoughts?"

Response from VanDevender: "Would the new potable water well serve? I understand that is located west of ponds between barns."

Response from Kresse to Sharpley and others: "Not really. I would imagine (or hope) that the zone we are concerned with would be cased off from the potable water. Cuttings would have helped some ..."

Response from VanDevender to Sharpley and others: "... Where and how deep does the well need to be? All, do we need to schedule a phone/web conference to discuss?"

Sharpley's response to all: "Sure, we can have a conference call next week. What ... works for most of you? ... Relatedly, though, I know Jason [Henson, C&H owner] is close to the limit of accommodating new requests for several reasons. And I certainly empathize with him."

Kresse's response to Sharpley: "Thursday is fine for me. Phil and I did relate to Todd that Jason might be near the end of his tether on continued work near and around the pond. We can discuss all the reasons this would be of increased importance to the group (and Jason for that matter)."

That's where the thread ended only to come to light after the alliance issued its Freedom of Information request that made it public.

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Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.

Editorial on 07/05/2016

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