$30,000 Daily Fines? Rancher Claims “Stupid” Outhouse Crackdown Is Forcing Amish Out Of Wyoming Community
Another conflict over outhouses has roiled an Amish community in America’s least-populated state, with a rancher claiming threats of massive fines have caused local Amish families to start leaving.
Hulett in Crook County is the site of Wyoming’s largest and oldest Amish settlement – about 190 people according to Young Center estimates, or roughly 40 families according to the report by Kate Meadows at Cowboy State Daily.
From the report:
A dispute over primitive outhouses on Amish-owned property in Crook County has prompted claims that some families are leaving northeast Wyoming’s oldest Amish community, though county officials say the issue has been resolved and was never intended to drive anyone away.
Sheridan rancher Pepper Fipps said he believes county enforcement efforts over wastewater disposal in the Hulett area have discouraged Amish families from remaining in the community.
“They wind up starting a little bit of a war,” Fipps said of the commissioners. “The community is dwindling.”
As you may already know, Amish in plainer communities use outhouses. The way they use them can conflict with local health regulations. Past cases in communities in states like Ohio and Kansas have pitted Amish waste disposal practices (eg, spreading waste on fields) against public health concerns.
This is another example of that, playing out in a state where the Amish are relative newcomers (the Hulett area was settled by Amish in 2011).
As evidence of the idea that Amish are leaving Hulett, the piece notes that an estate sale was held earlier this month for two Amish families leaving the community. One of the landowners was among those involved in the dispute.
Fipps contends county officials threatened landowners with fines of up to $30,000 per day if they failed to comply with regulations.
He called the county’s rule about illegal outhouses “asinine, stupid.”
“It is baffling to me because I haven’t ever seen an outhouse blow up,” he said.
Fipps also notes that the Amish typically live on large parcels – 160 acres – far from town.
Official Responds: “Everything is fixed”
Crook County Commission vice chairman Bob Latham disputes the idea that conflict continues, saying that “It’s all settled now. Everything is fixed,” and that “To my knowledge, we never imposed fines.”
Those words don’t unequivocally mean that no fines were issued, nor do they rule out that they were threatened, of course.
The issue originally came to light in late 2024, when it was found that an Amish household had dug pits for toilet purposes, but without permits. The outhouses did not comply with county regulations because a hole in the ground to collect waste can threaten to contaminate groundwater.
A county wastewater specialist, Caleb Peters, visited the Amish properties “several times”, and observed unsanitary conditions, while a county attorney sent letters.
“Some didn’t want to talk to him,” Latham said. “Some did and were very cordial. The ones who didn’t found out we’re not going to quit, because it’s about health and safety. It’s something we take very seriously.”
While Fipps sees the county’s actions as government overreach, Latham contends that “Our biggest thing with that deal is their health and safety.”
A Resolution – But How Many Are On Board?
They have apparently resolved it, with “some” Amish agreeing to install an alternative to their traditional outhouses – vault toilets. A vault toilet uses a sealed underground tank, which can be pumped out.
Despite the apparent resolution, it may be that this conflict has in fact forced some families to leave. Some may not want to go along with the alternative of vault toilets. Some may no longer feel welcome, depending on how the discussions actually went.
It doesn’t sound like the Hulett community is going to be disappearing completely (though Fipps characterizes it as “dwindling”). But it may well be losing some families due to this dispute.
Two families out of around 40 is not a huge dent, but there may be more than that who ultimately exit. It’s also unclear how many families have gone along with the vault toilet solution.
So I can understand Fipps’ frustration, especially if he is seeing valued friends and neighbors leaving town. And, considering that there may be more on the way out, despite the county’s resolution.
2021 says it all….
This went on for 20 years. But the heat was turned up in 2021. Religious groups were under fire then, the Amish among them, sadly. Hopefully this issue has been resolved. My goodness! Animals of all kinds “relieve” themselves in nature, campers and swimmers too. ♀️