Pierce County Board member takes issue with way sanitarian handled farming complaint

By Judy Wiff

ELLSWORTH - The Public Health Department overstepped its bounds by becoming involved in a complaint regarding a farm operation, said Pierce County Board member Bill Schroeder, Hager City.

But Pubic Health Director Jane Bruggeman said the sanitarian was doing her job and referred the complaint to the appropriate agency.

Schroeder, who voiced his concern during last week's County Board meeting, was the only board member to vote against ordinances to regulate tattoo parlors and setting fees for inspections and licensing.

The inspections are conducted by the county's sanitarian. That new position has been filled by Susie West since last February.

His concern, said Schroeder, is with the duties of the sanitarian in general.

"It seems to me they are overstepping their bounds or the intention of that position," said Schroeder.

Schroeder said he was investigated by the sanitarian when he spread lime on a field. Someone apparently reported that sludge was being spread, said Schroeder.

"It went as far as the DNR (state Department of Natural Resources), and it (spreading lime) is a common farm practice."

"Why is our Public Health person getting involved in that?" asked Schroeder. "I think we're out of hand when they start investigating my liming practices."

"Her job is to investigate any nuisance complaints that we get," said Public Health Director Jane Bruggeman during a phone interview Friday.

Bruggeman said the sanitarian inspects and licenses facilities such as restaurants, campgrounds, hotels and motels; conducts radon, lead and well water testing programs; and investigates nuisance complaints.

In this case, an individual complained that trucks were apparently dumping sludge and was worried that the material might contaminate wells in the Hager Heights area, said Bruggeman.

"Susie wanted to double check the (sludge-dumping permit) process, so she called the DNR," said Bruggeman. The DNR took over from there, and the sanitarian did no more with the complaint, said the Public Health director.

No citations were issued, said Bruggeman. "Because it wasn't sludge, there wasn't anything wrong."

If someone reports a concern about water quality, that's a public health issue, and the department is required to follow up on those types of complaints, said Bruggeman.

"We've been investigating nuisance complaints forever," said Bruggeman, indicating that this procedure is not new.

She said the department gets few complaints regarding farm operations.