DNR: Dairy producer responsible for manure spill

MONTROSE, Iowa (AP) — The Department of Natural Resources says a southeastern Iowa dairy producer accidentally spilled thousands of gallons of manure into a waterway but a quick response and luck helped minimize the damage.

The department said Tuesday the producer was pumping out a pit to spread manure on his land near Montrose in Lee County on Monday. He left the pump running briefly and a hydraulic valve malfunctioned, releasing between 25,000 and 50,000 gallons of manure that ended up in a waterway.

The department says the producer dammed up the waterway to trap the manure so he could pump it out, but some of it flowed downstream.

A DNR official says it’s lucky the creek was dry because conditions were right for a fish kill.

The DNR is considering appropriate enforcement action.