File this one under Very Dubious Distinctions: Excel Dairy is the first feedlot in Minnesota to be declared a public health hazard. 

But, hey. Before you fly off the handle and start casting aspersions on this poor 1000+ "animal unit" Cow City, which has been driving neighbors out of their homes due to a wretched, rotting egg, hydrogen sulfide smell, listen to the Mega Dairy's side of the story, ok?

Rick Millner, CEO of Prairie Ridge Management Co. of Veblen, S.D., which manages the dairy, blamed the odors on a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency requirement that the dairy empty and excavate one of its manure pits to see whether it was leaking into groundwater.

"I don't want problems with the neighbors," said Millner. "But we were ordered to do something, we did it, it didn't work out and everybody turns on us."

Yeah! It's not the fault of Excel's small army of cattle, pooping like, well, a small army of cattle. It's the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's fault! If they hadn't required the dairy to make sure they weren't poisoning the local water supply, everything'd be totally cool! 

Right, neighbors?

"We're living in a total nightmare," said [neighbor Jeff] Brouse. "My wife is four months pregnant, and her doctor said you're not supposed to be there. But what are we supposed to do when it's our home?"

Hrmm....well, at least Excel's fellow dairy feedlotters and Cow City operators have their backs, right? At least, the Minnesota Milk Producers Association will circle the wagons around Excel with a tersely written press release aimed at making the gubbermint back off. Right?

"The leadership of the Minnesota Milk Producers Association, a grass roots dairy farmer organization, is disappointed with the current situation at Excel Dairy near Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The sustained high levels of hydrogen sulfide emissions at the dairy are not a normal event for Minnesota's dairy operations and should be corrected immediately."

Eeeesh. That branch yer swinging from is pretty high, there, Excel.  Well, look on the bright side. At least your name isn't being trashed on YouTube in front of millions of people or anything.

Oh wait....

Thief River Falls Dairy Dozen Part 1

Thief River Falls Excel Mega-Dairy Part 2

Thief River Falls Excel Mega-Dairy Part 3

Thief River Falls Excel Mega-Dairy Part 4

Thief River Falls Excel Mega-Dairy Part 5

Thief River Falls  Excel Mega-Dairy Part 6

Thief River Falls Excel Mega-Dairy Part 7

Wellll....at least the Environmental Protection Agency is keeping a level head! The EPA proposed last December that the agency should stop requiring farms to report pesky lil problems like hydrogen sulfide emissions -- as long as such emissions come from animal waste.

There. Problem solved!