KNOX – Carl Peterson can see positive in even the messiest situations.

Following morning chores on Friday at his Bozenkill Road dairy farm, he noticed fluid was pouring out of the barn, and knew that wasn’t normal.

The fluid was cow manure that had flowed back through the barn from the manure pit on the back side of the barn.

The manure pit is located at a slightly higher elevation than the barn itself, Peterson said. An air-pressure system pumps the manure from the barn into the manure pit. A piece of iron that is hinged to open and close, called a baffle, prevents backflow, he said.
Somehow, the baffle failed. ‘It didn’t close," Peterson said. "I think we caught it within a few minutes.
"We were able to close a cover and stop it" I have no idea how much got out," he said.
"We called the DEC ourselves," Peterson said of the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation.

Wolf Creek runs near Peterson’s property and flows into the Bozenkill which feeds into the Watervliet Reservoir, said Kerri Battle, a spokesperson for Albany County. The Watervliet reservoir is Guilderland’s major source of drinking water.
Battle said that the county’s Department of Health estimates that about 135,000 gallons of manure were spilled. "Very little actually reached Wolf Creek," she said. "There are no signs it has reached the Bozenkill," she said. "There are no signs thus far of contamination," said Battle of the city of Watervliet and Guilderland water districts.
"Nothing reached our water supply," said Mark Gleason, the general manager for the city of Watervliet. "There are no threats whatsoever at this point."
The spill, Peterson said, spread manure about three or four inches deep throughout the barn, but presented "no danger to the animals.
"It’s a very disappointing thing that it had to happen," Peterson said.
The manure system, he said, is about 15 years old, and has never had a problem of this magnitude. "We’re embarrassed by it," he said.

The manure is used to fertilize the farm’s fields. (see related story.)
The DEC has been very reasonable, Peterson said, adding the agency was appreciative that the Petersons called. "We have not been cited for anything at this point," Peterson said. "That doesn’t mean that we won’t."

Peterson suggested to the DEC that the family install a second underground pipe with a baffle that could be controlled manually for emergency situations.
"We’re still working through it," Peterson said. "We feel somewhat fortunate that we were here and able to keep it contained," Peterson said. "We’re going about business as usual" That’s a farmer’s life."