Luxemburg Family
Files Lawsuit Over Contaminated Water
Jun 30, 2004 6:57 pm
US/Central
The Dispute Between A
Luxemburg Family Whose Well Water Was Contaminated And A Large Dairy
Farm, Is Now A Federal Case.
Scott And Judy Treml Are Suing
Stahl Farms For Violations Of Federal Clean Water And Pollution
Laws.
The Treml's Say Their Well Became Contaminated After
Stahl Farms Illegally Pumped Liquid Manure On To A Field Adjacent To
Their Home
The Treml's Filed Suit In US District Court In
Green Bay.
They Gave Notice Of Intent To File That Suit In
April In Hopes Of Getting Their Grievances Corrected.
CBS
Five's Terry Kovarik Joins Us Live From Luxemburg, And Says The Case
Must Now Work It's Way Through Federal Courts, Although The Stahls
Attorney Is Challenging That.
The Treml's Complaint Fills 32
Pages.
But It Claims Stahl Farms Have An On-Going Pattern Of
State And Federal Pollution Violations.
But Stahl's Attorney
Says The Treml's Aren't Qualified To Bring The Suit Since The State
Is Acting On Those Allegations.
Terry Kovarik: "For The First
Time Since Late March, Scott And Judy Treml No Longer Need To Get
Their Water Brought In By A Tanker Truck. A New, Deeper Well Means
No More Green Tinted Water Like They Used To Get From Their Old
Well. They Claim The Contamination Came From Manure Spread On The
Field Across Their Home By Stahl Farms. But, The Treml's Attorney
Says A Deeper Well Doesn't Mean A Lower Risk Of Contamination."
Andrew Hanson: "It Does Bring Some Relief. But The Treml's
Are Still Concerned That Under The Right Conditions, The Spreading
Of Manure On That Field, That Their Safe Drinking Water Won't Get
Contaminated Again."
Terry Kovarik: "So, Midwest
Environmental Advocates And The Treml's Have Filed A Complaint In
Federal Court. It Charges Stahl Farms With Violating The Clean Water
Act Through A Series Of Violations Dating Back To The 1980's. The
Complaint Asks The Court To Order Stahl Farms To End Practices That
Have Cause Contamination, Along With Fines For Each Violation. But,
The Stahl's Attorney Claims The Treml's Can't Bring That Suit,
Because The State Is Taking Action."
Voice Of David Crass:
"The Department Of Natural Resources Is Already Diligently
Prosecuting These Alleged Violations. So That We Think They Are
Without Jurisdiction To Pursue These Claims."
Terry Kovarik:
"Stahl's Attorney Adds Stahl Is Working To Correct The Problem. But,
The Treml's Attorney Says It's Not The First Time."
Andrew
Hanson:"The DNR Has Been Working With Stahl Farms For
20-Years."
Voice Of David Crass: "Mr. Stahl Has Retained A
Couple Of Professionals That Will Help Him With Permit
Compliance."
The Next Step Is To Set A Court Date To Hear The
Treml's Claims And Stahl's Responses.
But For The First Time In
Months, The Treml's Are Getting Clean Water From A Well Instead Of A
Tanker Truck.
(MMIV,
CBS Broadcasting Inc., All Rights Reserved.)
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