ONEIDA RESERVATION, WI (WTAQ) – The Department of Natural Resources is sending extra help to assist in the cleanup effort following a manure spill on the Oneida Reservation.
The spill on the Phil Robertson farm off of County Road E was reported on Tuesday afternoon, but most likely happened on Monday night.
Estimates are that 300,000 gallons of manure were released by the farm and dead fish have been found in Silver Creek as a result of the spill, according to DNR officials.
Officials are saying the manure spill was caused when an underground manure pit on the farm failed and caused a main manure storage structure to overfill.
Jim Snitgen, Water Resources Supervisor for Oneida Nation, says they can’t afford for this to happen again.
“Future actions will be probably working to ensure this doesn’t happen by installing a different system of valves and closer monitoring at the farm,” he explains.
Both people and pets can become ill if they come in contact with manure.
It’s advised to stay clear of any streams in the area if they look or smell like they contain manure.
