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07/15/09, 12:11 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 866
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Which Governmental Agency when toilet waste is dumped in creek
I have put up with this problem for two years now on a farm I own about 10 miles from my home.... I am nearing completion on two homes that are going to be sold in the fall and this is not going to go over well with potential buyers...
short story is the neighboring farmer has moved in two run down travel trailers next to his ag water tap and near his barn that has eletricity... he pipes the waste to the creek.....
I've talked to the sheriff, he has promised me that when I make my move he will increase his car running on the road to give me all the support I need, but he didn't every rember this happening, he didn't know if the county could throw them out... he thought it would have to be the state.
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07/15/09, 12:15 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: tn
Posts: 4,910
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health dept.
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07/15/09, 12:24 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 763
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In our state we have DEQ . . . Department of Environmental Quality. At the state level, funding usually exist for staffing to enforce the laws relating to health and environment.
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07/15/09, 12:24 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: far north Idaho
Posts: 11,134
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You could try the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency ) too.
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07/15/09, 12:25 PM
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Fair to adequate Mod
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Between Crosslake and Emily Minnesota
Posts: 13,721
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County or state environmental dept/agency. Actually a straight pipe to a surface water is in violation of the US Clean Water Act.
What county and state do you live in and maybe I can help?
Take lots of photos!
__________________
This is the government the Founding Fathers warned us about.....
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07/15/09, 12:26 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: EastTN: Former State of Franklin
Posts: 4,482
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Yep....I'd agree. Most States/counties have health departments and septic regulations. Even here in rural TN, that is one of the few things we have regulatory wise.....
But I'd go talk to the guy first.....sometimes that works. I built a rental house down the road from me, and the neighbor on the upper side had a homemade septic system in for years....couple 55gal drums and a small field bed. It came oozing out of the ground about the time I finished the house, and the smell would knock you over from my property. I asked him to fix it, and offered the use of my backhoe, but he took care of it on his own....hand dug more field bed and got a couple pickup loads of gravel. Cured the problem, short term anyway, so I said nothing else.
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07/15/09, 12:30 PM
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Waste of bandwidth
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: OK
Posts: 10,618
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Depending on the county, wouldn't it probably be a code violation?
Does your county have a code enforcement agency?
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07/15/09, 12:33 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 866
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this is in rural tennessee.... the most redneck Co. government you can imagine.... our local health dept is non exsistent..... I hope there is somebody at the state level....
Do I need to just sue ( or ask for an injunction ) the guy??? I'm considering just using a lawyer.... My lawyer will work an afternoon for $350, and that might be the best money every spent and the neighbor and state official will know they have to play it straight.
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07/15/09, 12:35 PM
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In Remembrance
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 6,844
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Post implies someone is living in the trailers. In the local county the rule is no more than one residence per deeded property. However, local code enforces operate on the complaint system. They don't go out looking for violations.
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07/15/09, 12:43 PM
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Fair to adequate Mod
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Between Crosslake and Emily Minnesota
Posts: 13,721
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Okay, forget the county staff. Go to this link ==> Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation Field Offices Pick the office that covers your county. Then call the person under the heading of "Household Septic Systems."
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This is the government the Founding Fathers warned us about.....
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07/15/09, 12:50 PM
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Singletree Moderator
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: North Alabama
Posts: 8,848
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Contact the nearest TV news station you recieve and let them do their local 60 minutes routine if your health or environmental depts dont address it.
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"I didn't have time to slay the dragon. It's on my To Do list!"
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07/15/09, 01:24 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: AR
Posts: 2,260
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what took you so long to care
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Don't complain, just do it
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07/15/09, 02:05 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 866
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Quote:
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what took you so long to care
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Oh I cared, it's just dangerous to complain in Tn....I wanted my equipment and tools safely home first.
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07/15/09, 02:30 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 9,511
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Do you have a Soil and Water Conservation office?
I don't know anything about the staff at our local office these days, but at one time, they would have helped you in every way possible. They probably would have tried to talk about the violation with the owner, and then up the ladder to the state Dept. of Enviromental Management, water division.
In other words, they would not have taken this lightly, and getting the state involved could land that guy in jail if he didn't comply.
They do NOT jack around with protecting the water shed in my town.
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07/15/09, 02:34 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: michigan
Posts: 22,570
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DNR Department of Natural Resourses, we had to deal with them over anything having to do with our water( ie.our swamp).
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07/15/09, 02:52 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Pa
Posts: 1,166
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To add to the list... the fish commission will care. Also, a phone call to your nearest state representative. While the second office can't do anything about it, they will find out who exactly you need to talk to.
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07/15/09, 03:43 PM
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Brenda Groth
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 7,817
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EPA is who i would think to contact..or county
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07/15/09, 09:30 PM
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Murphy was an optimist ;)
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 21,502
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Rural TN? And you mention a redneck town, with folks livin in trailors upstream? I would think sewage running down the creek would be the least of your worries as far as selling the place when it comes to prospective buyers. Particularly if you swat that hornets nest with the state boys, or the epa for that matter. You may get the sewage problem stopped upstream, but rest assured its going to "run down hill" and I wouldnt swap places with you on a bet if you take that route. I would be offering to help them put in proper systems if it were me. 
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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain
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07/16/09, 07:34 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Southside Virginia
Posts: 687
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RedHogs
What took you so long to care?
Oh I cared, it's just dangerous to complain in Tn....I wanted my equipment and tools safely home first.
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Yikes, sounds like a wonderful place to buy a new house! I guess you won't mind some broken windows now?
I don't have any sympathy for you, sorry. You chose to build 2 spec houses in a farming area. Spec houses belong in a subdiv in town, not beside a large farm. It seems to me that the sewage is just one issue buyers would have, in addition to perhaps the 2 trailers you mentioned (who would buy a $$ spec house with 2 trailers next to it?) and large farming operations. It's folks like you that shut down family farms, and farmers who've been farming all their lives, with your complaints. Happened to a dairy near here. Neighbor built a bunch of houses, spoilt city people moved in (looking for the 'country life') and complained about the dairy smell and noise, and shut down a 3 generation family farm!
It seems to me if he moved those trailers there recently he would have had to meet the county red tape before they could be occupied. If they've been there awhile then they're probably grandfathered in. Drains to ditches or woodland is still common in rural parts and is acceptable unless you start renovating, then you have to update the septic.
Common sense says to build houses suitable in value and style for the area. Build above what the area value is and you'll either lose money on the sale, have an unsaleable house on your hands, or make a whole lot of enemies. Seems you should have put a double wide there instead of a spec house!
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07/16/09, 09:03 AM
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Murphy was an optimist ;)
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 21,502
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RosewoodfarmVA
Yikes, sounds like a wonderful place to buy a new house! I guess you won't mind some broken windows now?
I don't have any sympathy for you, sorry. You chose to build 2 spec houses in a farming area. Spec houses belong in a subdiv in town, not beside a large farm. It seems to me that the sewage is just one issue buyers would have, in addition to perhaps the 2 trailers you mentioned (who would buy a $$ spec house with 2 trailers next to it?) and large farming operations. It's folks like you that shut down family farms, and farmers who've been farming all their lives, with your complaints. Happened to a dairy near here. Neighbor built a bunch of houses, spoilt city people moved in (looking for the 'country life') and complained about the dairy smell and noise, and shut down a 3 generation family farm!
It seems to me if he moved those trailers there recently he would have had to meet the county red tape before they could be occupied. If they've been there awhile then they're probably grandfathered in. Drains to ditches or woodland is still common in rural parts and is acceptable unless you start renovating, then you have to update the septic.
Common sense says to build houses suitable in value and style for the area. Build above what the area value is and you'll either lose money on the sale, have an unsaleable house on your hands, or make a whole lot of enemies. Seems you should have put a double wide there instead of a spec house!
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Maybe, but theres no real money to be made with a doublewide. 
__________________
"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain
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