HOPKINS, Mich.- People who live in Allegan County spoke out on Sunday about the manure that leaked into a more than five-mile stretch of creek.
The leak occurred when a piece of equipment malfunctioned at the Schaendorf Dairy Farm. The spill flowed into the creek in the Weick Drainage area near Hopkins and has since moved downstream through the Rabbit River.
Most of the people who live in the area tell FOX 17 that it’s just part of living in the country.
“You live in the country, you deal with manure on a daily basis,” Heather Baier said. “Yes it’s gross. Yes it stinks…It’s nasty.”
Bobby Kerber has lived in Allegan County his whole life and shares the same sentiment as Baier. “It doesn’t really bother me,” Kerber said. “Runoff’s been going into the waters since the early ’30s and ’40s.”
Although a lot of people who live in the area aren’t worried about the leak, a couple of people said they are concerned about the wildlife. Robert McKinnon, a local farmer, said he’s worried the manure will kill off the fish. But he’s hopeful.
“They’ll get it cleaned up,” McKinnon said. “It’s gonna be costly, but it’ll get cleaned up.”
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality said there doesn’t appear to be a threat when it comes to drinking water. However, the Allegan County Health Department will have to make a final determination.
