Cow Waste Crook: Asheville Farmer Sentenced

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Michael Alexander Crowell, 65, of Asheville, and his company, Crowell Farms, Inc., are facing the music after a federal judge slapped them with penalties for deliberately polluting the French Broad River with raw cow manure. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger handed down the sentence today, marking a rare federal conviction for environmental violations in the region.

Crowell was ordered to serve six months of house arrest as part of his three-year probation and pay $10,000 in fines. Crowell Farms, Inc. will shell out an additional $40,000 in fines – though that could be reduced by any payments already made to the state of North Carolina – and also faces a three-year probationary period requiring adherence to a strict environmental compliance program. This isn’t just about money; it’s about accountability for poisoning a vital waterway.

Federal investigators revealed that between November and December 2015, Crowell rigged up bypasses to the farm’s waste lagoons, allowing thousands of pounds of liquid animal waste to flow directly into a tributary of the French Broad River. Crowell Farms lacked the necessary permits to discharge waste into open waters and was only authorized to use an on-site land application system. The court heard Crowell installed the bypasses himself, admitting to inspectors he knew he was “doing the wrong thing” due to difficulties managing the farm’s waste.

The operation, maintaining over 150 cows and 200 acres of farmland, generated a massive amount of animal waste – classified as pollutants under the Clean Water Act. As the Operator Responsible-in-Charge (ORC), Michael Crowell was solely responsible for ensuring proper waste disposal into the designated lagoons. But instead of following the rules, he chose to cut corners, risking the health of the river and the people who depend on it. Inspectors also discovered Crowell Farms didn’t even have the right equipment for proper land application, showing a blatant disregard for environmental regulations.

Both Michael Crowell and Crowell Farms pleaded guilty in November 2016 to one count of criminal violation of the Clean Water Act. The French Broad River isn’t some remote backcountry stream; it provides drinking water to over a million people and is a popular spot for recreation, including swimming, kayaking, fishing, and supporting local agriculture. This wasn’t a mistake, it was a calculated risk that put public health and the environment in jeopardy.

The investigation was a joint effort led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) Atlanta Area Office, the State Bureau of Investigations’ Diversion and Environmental Crimes Unit (SBI/DECU), and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman of the Charlotte office prosecuted the case, sending a clear message that environmental crimes will not be tolerated. The Clean Water Act exists to protect our nation’s waters, and those who violate it will face consequences.