| Classification | Permit / land-use dispute (pollution allegations; no adjudicated violation) |
| Status | Special permit approved |
| Location | 39 Hurlburt Road, Somers, Connecticut |
| Company | Oakridge Dairy LLC |
| Material | Anaerobically digested dairy manure (digestate) |
| Decision-maker | Somers Planning and Zoning Commission |
| Last updated | August 3, 2026 |
What the record shows
The Somers Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4–0 in July 2026 to approve four mobile tanks capable of storing up to 84,000 gallons of digestate. The permit covers storage only — it does not authorize or regulate transportation from Oakridge’s Ellington dairy or application to the receiving cornfields. Oakridge disclosed that it had already transported digestate to the site and used the tanks with its Rain360 irrigation system, believing the activity did not require separate local approval.
The decision follows Oakridge’s unsuccessful 2025 effort to characterize a proposed three-acre digestate lagoon as an agricultural use allowed without zoning approval. Somers’ zoning authorities concluded that approval was required for the lagoon and subsequently for manure storage exceeding the local volume threshold.
Allegations and competing positions
Nearly 20 residents opposed or questioned the tank proposal during June and July hearings, citing odors, truck traffic, and possible groundwater contamination. An attorney opposing the application argued it lacked required regulatory notices and cited research suggesting digestate’s greater water solubility could increase groundwater or surface-water risks.
Oakridge’s representatives maintained that digestate creates less odor and contains fewer contaminants than untreated manure, and said nutrient-management and application rates are regulated by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. These are the farm’s positions — not independent findings that the storage or application presents no environmental risk.
What the commission did — and did not — decide
The commission expressly limited its decision to whether the storage proposal complied with local zoning and volume requirements. It did not decide whether digestate is environmentally safe, and it made no finding on whether groundwater contamination has occurred.
Records FAT is seeking
- The final written permit and all storage, spill-control, and inspection conditions
- Oakridge’s current nutrient-management plan and Connecticut discharge-permit records
- Digestate transport logs, application dates, quantities, and receiving-field locations
- Groundwater and private-well data near 39 Hurlburt Road
- Ownership of the receiving land and any third-party applicators or hauling companies
- Oakridge’s milk cooperative, processor, or principal buyer — not identified in the materials reviewed to date
Sources
CT Insider / Journal Inquirer — Somers approves Oakridge Dairy manure storage permit
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