Excel Dairy
April 2009

Site Description
In May 2008 the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) was contacted by citizens living in the area surrounding the Excel Dairy of Excel Township, Marshall County, Minnesota. The citizens complained of strong odors and numerous health effects that they felt were related to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas coming from manure lagoons on the dairy property.

In response to these citizen requests, MDH and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducted an Exposure Investigation in July 2008, measuring H₂S gas in air at three residences near the Excel Dairy. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) also monitored H₂S at the Excel Dairy fenceline from May through October 2008.

In September 2008, based on the ATSDR and MPCA monitoring results, ATSDR and MDH wrote a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and MPCA. The letter concluded that the Excel Dairy is a public health hazard and urged actions to reduce H₂S emissions. In March 2009, MPCA published a Notice of Intent to Revoke and Reissue the Excel Dairy Permit. Also in March ATSDR and MDH jointly issued a full report the Exposure Investigation and MPCA monitoring results.

Excel Dairy Information Sheet

Excel Dairy Health Consultation, March 2009

Full document March 2009 (PDF: 4,665KB/173 pages)

or download by section

Text (PDF: 609KB/36 pages)

Appendix 1 text (PDF: 2,799KB/74 pages)

Appendix 1 attachments (PDF: 1,413KB/54 pages)

Appendix 2 (PDF: 366KB/9 pages)

Comment letter, March 2009 (PDF: 237KB/27 pages)

Presentation from the April 13, 2009 public meeting (PDF: 18KB/1 page)

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For more information about this page, please contact us at health.hazard@state.mn.us call 651-201-4897, or toll-free 1-800-657-3908 and press "4" to leave a message.