Farm fields spreading white powder (?lime?) Dog injured.

[BoggoStump]

Hi all, my local farmer has spread white powder all over his fields and it has blown across the parks and throughout the nearby houses, even been told that someone saw a smog like mist passing their house further away from the fields, it was that bad.

It was like fog but during the day.

The grass in the park had a very light covering of it, people has to wash their pets legs as it got onto them.

My car is covered with it, dusty.

My pet dog was in my back garden and his eyes were watering badly, his eyes were soar next day, vets gave me drops, still soar now after around 5 days, vets have looked at him and have now said he has blisters under his eyelids.

I was in the back garden too and it was choking me, i brought my dog inside with me.

I phoned the farmer who's wife picked the phone up and was abusive and put the phone down on me.

Is it against the law or any regulation to spread this stuff during this season or weather (hot sunny breazy), i have searched online and found someone saying it was meant to be spread during November/Winter to prevent it from blowing everywhere and for it to be rained on to soak into the ground.

I am very unhappy about this.

[Magooagain]

It's wrong. I would make a police complaint,then talk to some sort of advisory service and the National farmers Union.

[bobtail4x4]

its been too wet to get on the land,
its lime,

[BoggoStump]

Magooagain said:

It's wrong. I would make a police complaint,then talk to some sort of advisory service and the National farmers Union.

Thanks, i'll see what i can do.

[alorotom]

Magooagain said:

It's wrong. I would make a police complaint,then talk to some sort of advisory service and the National farmers Union.

Please say that’s sarcasm and not to be taken seriously!

[speedyman]

alorotom said:

Please say that’s sarcasm and not to be taken seriously!

why would it be wrong, what if it was fuel leaking or gas. Lime is a dangerous chemical. The farmer is responsible to see it is used safely, clearly his wife and you see otherwise. It is a health and safety matter and the op. Should report it.

[anonymous-user]

The farmer may be liable to the OP for the vet's bills for his dog. The escape of the lime from the farmland to neighbouring land may engage strict (that is: without proof of negligence) liability for nuisance, under the modified principle known as Rylands v Fletcher, or the farmer may have been negligent in using the lime at a time when it was likely to drift across to the OP's place.

No need for police, or HSE, and certainly not for the NFU!

[Davel]

Don't think lime is dangerous unless it was quick lime or similar.

[ChevronB19]

Speak to the Environment Agency

[A1VDY]

Davel said:

Don't think lime is dangerous unless it was quick lime or similar.

It's not dangerous. It's not something you want on your skin as it can cause a mild irritation but it's not going to kill you.
I live within the grounds of a deer park owned by the Broadland Trust and adjacent fields are treated yearly. Its never been a problem here either to humans or animals.
OP, just wash it off and move on, it's really not worth the stress of worrying about it..

[x type]

Davel said:

Don't think lime is dangerous unless it was quick lime or similar.

think again please

Because lime can be such an irritating substance, it goes without saying that it can be dangerous for pets exposed to large amounts of lime dust. Breathing in powdered lime can cause burning in the nose and throat, as well as more severe damage to the lungs and esophagus.



We had same problem last week couldn't see from one end of street to other and I am not joking

Enviromental health are investigating with view to prosecuting farmer on enviromental health and safety grounds

Yes I know farmers have to spread lime for crops etc .

But this was taking the p... it was dry sunny but very windy the whole village was covered in lime powder apparently farmer is blaming contractors for doing it

We have had 3 people in our street taking dogs to vets since this happened

Also a few people have contacted doctors surgery with eye irritation etc. explained what happened doctors reckon sound very much like lime causing the problem

[Evanivitch]

x type said:

Enviromental health are investigating with view to prosecuting farmer on enviromental health and safety grounds

Yep, need to talk to your local council Environmental Health team.

Farmers know their responsibilities to prevent blown pollution and run off, there was nothing unpredictable about the weather the last few weeks. No doubt it was delayed because of the incredibly wet winter but it doesn't justify causing health impacts to neighbours.

[Roger Irrelevant]

That is taking the piss. I've used a fair bit of lime in the renovation of my house. I'm wise to it now but the first few times I used it I was pretty blasé about safety and ended up with quite bad irritation of the nose and throat from breathing the stuff in (blood in mucus etc). To say it's not dangerous to send clouds of the stuff past people's houses - bks.

[Nickyboy]

Was wondering how bad it would have been to cover the village then looked it up on You Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNPfTGJ5_Rc

[voyds9]

x type said:

think again please

Because lime can be such an irritating substance, it goes without saying that it can be dangerous for pets exposed to large amounts of lime dust. Breathing in powdered lime can cause burning in the nose and throat, as well as more severe damage to the lungs and esophagus.



We had same problem last week couldn't see from one end of street to other and I am not joking

Enviromental health are investigating with view to prosecuting farmer on enviromental health and safety grounds

Yes I know farmers have to spread lime for crops etc .

But this was taking the p... it was dry sunny but very windy the whole village was covered in lime powder apparently farmer is blaming contractors for doing it

We have had 3 people in our street taking dogs to vets since this happened

Also a few people have contacted doctors surgery with eye irritation etc. explained what happened doctors reckon sound very much like lime causing the problem

This

One of the nastiest (common) substances that causes quick damage to an eye.

if it damages the cornea can lead to ulceration, cataracts or in extreme cases perforation.

[renmure]

It may not be lime.

If it's going down on fields that will be sown for potato's then the farmers round here are spreading gypsum on the fields. It looks the same. I believe it's supposed to do something to improve the skin quality of the potato. I'm surrounded by farmland and hadn't seen anything like it being spread before in 20 years of living out here but one of the local farmers was saying they are getting it free this year from somewhere in the north of England (think there's a Gypsum factory in Cumbria) and right enough there's loads of it about.

[TCX]

Was the farm there before you moved in?
Called the countryside,part of life

[anonymous-user]

What a ridiculous thing to say. Farmers have responsibilities, same as everyone else. In my experience they don't give a flying fk about anyone else when it comes to farming.

[anonymous-user]

A1VDY said:

It's not dangerous. It's not something you want on your skin as it can cause a mild irritation but it's not going to kill you.
I live within the grounds of a deer park owned by the Broadland Trust and adjacent fields are treated yearly. Its never been a problem here either to humans or animals.
OP, just wash it off and move on, it's really not worth the stress of worrying about it..

You appear to have missed the bit about the OP's dog having blisters inside its eyelids, and the bit about people at another location having to seek medical treatment.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 28th April 07:02

[anonymous-user]

TCX said:

Was the farm there before you moved in?
Called the countryside,part of life

If the OP was complaining about a cockerel crowing, or about seeds blowing over into his garden and implanting there, you might have a good point, but he is complaining about an un-neighbourly use of a potentially nuisance-causing substance, and therefore your point is bad. The farmer should have taken more care in choosing the time to spread the substance, avoiding a day on which the breeze would carry it to neighbouring properties.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 28th April 19:11