Valley Farm, Greg teVelde Response to Public Comments€¦ · Oregon Humane Society has Humane Special Agents who are certified police officers commissioned by the Oregon State Police

OregonDepartmentof Agriculture

StateofOregonDepartmentofAgricultureStateofOregonDepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality

ConfinedAnimalFeedingOperation(CAFO)

NPDESProposedCAFOIndividualPermitforLostValleyFarm,GregteVelde

ResponsetoPublicComments

TableofContents:

I. SummaryandDiscussionofCommentsBeyondtheScopeofthePermit…………............................1II. ResponsestoRecurringThemes………………………………………………………………………………………..5III. WaterQualityNPDESIndividualPermitComments……………………………………………………………9IV. SummaryofchangestotheNPDESIndividualPermit………………………………………………………24V. IndexofCommenters………………………………………………………………………………………………………25

I. SUMMARY

TheOregonDepartmentofAgriculture(ODA)andDepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality(DEQ)providedapublicnoticeandcommentperiodontheproposednewConfinedAnimalFeedingOperation(CAFO)inODAArea5(NorthCentralOregon).OnJune28,2016,theagenciesissuedaPublicNotice.OnJuly28,2016,apublichearingwasheldinBoardmanatthePortofMorrowRiverfrontCenter.ThisinitialpubliccommentperiodclosedAugust4,2016.Theagenciesre-openedthecommentperiodfromOctober3,2016toNovember4,2016afterreceivingarequestfromtheStateEnvironmentalJusticeTaskForce.ODAandDEQreceived4,147commentsontheproposedpermit.

• 1993ofthecommentswereformlettersopposedtoissuingthepermit.• 2117peopletotalsignedtwopetitionssubmittedinopposition(1868ononeand249on

another).o 7ofthe2117petitionersprovidedadditionalwrittencomments.

• 156peopleprovidedindividualwrittencomments(9infavorand147opposingthepermit).• 77peopleattendedthepublichearingheldinBoardman.• 7oralcommentswereprovidedatthehearing(6infavorand1withconcernsaboutthe

permitdetails).

ThepermitisanindividualNationalPollutantDischargeElimination(NPDES)CAFO(ConfinedAnimalFeedingOperation)permit,preparedthroughFederalCleanWaterAct(CWA)authoritydelegatedtotheStateofOregon.Thispermitpackageconsistsofthreedocuments:AnNPDESpermit,apermitevaluationreport(PER),andanAnimalWasteManagementPlan(AWMP).ThepermitandtheAWMPbyreference,providetherequiredconditions,controls,limitsandmonitoringnecessaryforenvironmentalprotectionassociatedwiththefacilityanditsoperations.ThePERprovidesthescienceandpolicybasisforthepermitandAWMP.

LostValleyFarmODAandDEQResponsetoComments

Page 2 of 25

Summaryoforalcomments:

Oralcommentsatthepublichearingwerelargelysupportiveoftheproposeddairyciting:positiveeconomicimpacts;goodmanagementofmanureandwaterresources;useofbestmanagementpracticesthataresustainable;andprovisionofgoodunionjobs.Acommenterexpressedconcernsthatthedairystartedconstructionbeforethepermithasbeenissued;potentialnegativeimpactstogroundandsurfacewater;nitrogenlevelimpactsfromapplications;fugitivedustandodors;andaccesstothedairyforanimalwelfareconcerns.Responsestotheseconcernscanbefoundbelow.

Commentsthataddressissuesthatarebeyondthescopeofthepermit:

Manyofthewrittencommentsincludingtheformletters,addressedthefollowingareasofconcern:1)AirQuality;2)WorkerSafety,and3)AnimalHealth/Welfare,4)antibioticresistance,and5)othermiscellaneousissues.ODAandDEQacknowledgetheseconcerns,buttheyareeithernotwithinODAandDEQ’sauthority,orareaddressedthroughregulatorymechanismsotherthanawaterqualitypermit.However,asummaryaddressingeachconcernisfoundbelow.

1.AirQuality

CommentsincludedconcernsthatemissionsfromthedairywouldcontributetotheColumbiaRiverGorgeNationalScenicAreahazeproblems,contributetoGreenhouseGasemissions,causefugitivedustproblems,andimpactcriteriaairpollutants.Allofthesecommentswererelatedtoairemissionsandtheimpactsofthedairyonairquality.

ThecommentsregardingairqualityarebeyondthescopeoftheproposedNPDESCAFOIndividualPermit.TheproposedPermitcanonlyregulatedischargestosurfaceandgroundwatersofOregon.DEQistheOregonAgencyresponsibleforimplementingtheCleanAirAct(CAA)andissuingairqualitypermitswhererequired.ORS468A.020(1)(a)exemptsagriculturaloperationsfrommostairqualitylaws.Currently,theonlyrequirementforCAFOsinOregontoobtainanairpermitfromDEQisforcombustingbiogasfromadigester.WhiletheLostValleyRanch(LVF)AWMPdoesmentionadigester,theapplicanthasinformedtheagenciesthathedoesnotplantoimplementadigesteratthistime.However,theapplicantindicatedhewouldconsiderimplementingadigesteratalaterdateifitiseconomicallyfeasible.Ifadigesterisaddedaspartofthewastetreatmentfacilitiesatafuturedate,theagencieswouldreviewtheproposalandrequiretheappropriateairpermit.

TheColumbiaRiverGorgeNationalScenicAreaStudyof2011identifiesammoniaemissionsfromanimalfeedingoperations(AFOs)asoneofthesourcesofhaze.Theagenciesagreethatthereport’s2-partstrategyforreducingemissionsfromdairyCAFOsisimportanttoconsiderandagreethatthedairiesshouldimplementBestManagementPracticesforemissionreductionsandparticipateinvoluntaryprogramstoreduceemissions.ODAhasrequiredexistinglargeCAFOstocalculatetheirammoniaemissionsandreportthemundertheCAAcommunityrighttoknowsection.PermitconditionsintheCAFONPDESindividualPermitmustaddressCleanWaterActrequirementsbut,theagencieshavesuggestedthatLVFcalculatethepotentialairemissionsofammoniaandhydrogensulfidefromthefacilityandreportthoseamountsaccordingtoEPCRAsection304.LVFintendstoimplementalonglistofwaterqualitybestmanagementpractices(BMP)andmanyofthosepracticesalsohaveabenefitforairemissions.BMPsconsistofbothstructuralandmanagementpractices.SomeofstructuralBMPstobeimplementedinclude:

• Storingfeedinsealedorcoveredstructures• Bio-Linkmanuretreatment


Page 3 of 25

• Coveredmanurestoragefacilities

SomeofthemanagementBMPstobeimplementedinclude:

• Advancedrationformulationforproteinsource,amountandstarchcontentthathasbeenshowninresearchtrialstoreduceemissionsbyupto40%;

• Frequentcollectionofmanurefrombarnsandmilkingcentertominimizeexposureandemissions;

• Plantingofnitrogen-fixingcropstoremovenitrogencompoundsfromtheatmosphere;• Plantingtreestoutilizenitrogen;• Maintaininghighproductionefficiencytominimizeanimalnumbers;• Rapidincorporationoflandappliedsolidmanuretominimizeemissions.

GreenhouseGas(GHG)andCriteriaAirPollutants:DEQAirProgramsmonitorairpollutantstodeterminestatuswithNationalAmbientAirQualityStandards(NAAQS).WhenambientmonitoringrevealsaNAAQSviolation,DEQtakesnecessarystepstoidentifythepollutantsourcesandtoimplementstrategiestoretaincompliancewiththestandards.Currently,theDEQmonitoringstationinclosestproximitytotheproposeddairyislocatedinHermiston,Oregon.

2.WorkerSafetyandOverallHumanHealthConcerns

Commentersexpressedconcernaboutthefacility’simpactonhumanhealthgenerallyandspecificallyondiseasecontrol,risksofdevelopingantimicrobialresistance,workersafetyconditions,andtheeffectsofmilkconsumptiononhumanhealth.

ODAandDEQcanonlyaddressconcernsabouttheeffectofCAFOfacilitiesonhumanhealththatarewithintheregulatoryscopeoftheFederalCleanWaterActandproposedNPDESCAFOIndividualPermit.TheFederalCleanWaterActandtheproposedPermitprohibitandregulatedischargesofpollutantsfromaCAFOfacilitytosurfaceandgroundwatersofOregon.

Withregardtocommentsaboutworkersafety,ODAandDEQarenotauthorizedtoaddresssuchconcernsintheNPDESCAFOIndividualPermit.Theagenciesnotehowever,thattheCenterforDiseaseControl’sNationalInstituteforOccupationalSafetyandHealth(NIOSH)istheFederalagencythatconductsresearchonworkersafetyandhealth.In2005,theNIOSHconductedaHealthHazardEvaluation(HHE)studyatThreemileCanyonFarmsandissuedareport(HETA#2005-0271-2996)thatfoundworker-levelconcentrationofbothammoniaandhydrogensulfidewerewithinrecommendedlevelsforworkerexposure.ThisstudyisrelevantinformationtoaddresstheconcernsofcommentersbecausetheThreemileCanyonFarmsfacilityisofsimilarsizetothefacilityproposed.

Withregardtocommentsaboutworkersafety,theagenciesnotethatinOregon,workersafetyisoverseenbytheOregonOccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration(OROSHA).AllpertinentworkersafetyregulationswouldbeaddressedbyOROSHA.PersonswithconcernsaboutworkersafetymaycontactOregonOSHAor,visittheirwebsiteformoreinformation:http://osha.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx.

3.AnimalHealthandWelfare

Commentersexpressedconcernaboutcowandcalfhandling,theeffectsofconfinementofanimalsattheproposedfacility,andanimalcrueltygenerally.


Page 4 of 25

AnimalhealthandwelfareconcerncommentsarebeyondthescopeoftheproposedNPDESCAFOIndividualPermit.TheproposedPermitregulatesdischargestosurfaceandgroundwatersofOregonandonlycontainsprovisionsthatprotectsurfaceandgroundwaterquality(ORS468B215(3)).Anyanimalwelfareconcerns,includinganyallegedviolationsofOregonanimalwelfarelaws,wouldbehandledbythelocalsheriff’sofficeortheOregonHumaneSociety;http://www.oregonhumane.org.TheOregonHumaneSocietyhasHumaneSpecialAgentswhoarecertifiedpoliceofficerscommissionedbytheOregonStatePolicetoinvestigateanimalcrimes.

TheLostValleyFarmoperatorsdoparticipateintheNationalMilkProducersFederationFARManimalcareprogramattheirWillowCreekDairysiteanddidhaveathirdpartyauditin2016.

4.AntibioticResistance

CommentersexpressedconcernthattheuseofantibioticsorantimicrobialagentsinCAFOfacilitiesleadstoantibioticresistantpathogens.

NPDESpermitsgovernthedischargeofwastefromCAFOfacilities,butdonotauthorizetheagenciestoregulatetheuseofantibioticsorantimicrobialswithinthefacilitiesthemselves.

Notwithstandingtheabove,theagenciesnotethattheFederalFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)hasrecentlyenactednewregulationsthatrestrictallanimalantibioticusetoonlythosematerialsprescribedbyalicensedveterinarianunderanactiveVeterinarian/ClientRelationship.SinceJanuary1,2017,FDAprohibitsanygrowthpromotionuseofantibioticsinfoodanimals.Inaddition,withregardtodetectionofpharmaceuticalsinfood,allmilkproducedbytheproposeddairywillberequiredtobetestedforantibioticresiduesandcannotbesoldifitviolatesanyFDAstandards.Finally,theUSDAalsoconductssurveillanceofslaughterfacilitiestocheckforantibioticresiduesinanimalcarcassesandrejectsanycarcassthatviolatesanyFDAstandards.

Withregardtocommentsabouttheuseofpharmaceuticalsasthisusemayaffectpublichealthgenerally,thesecommentsarebeyondthescopeoftheproposedNPDESCAFOIndividualPermit,exceptinsofaraspharmaceuticalusecouldimpactwaterquality.Withregardtocommentsaboutpharmaceuticalsthatmaybecontainedinwaste,seeresponsetocommentsbelow.

5.Miscellaneouscommentsthataddressissuesthatarebeyondthescopeofthepermit

Say“No”toFactoryFarmsinOregon(118-339)

CommentersexpressedconcernaboutlowmilkpricesresultingfromtheoperationoflargedairyfacilitiesandconcernthatanewMegaDairyopeningwillputpressureonremainingfamilyscaledairyfarms.

Thesecomments,whichaddressagriculturaleconomicsarebeyondthescopeoftheproposedNPDESCAFOIndividualPermitissuedpursuanttoOregonlawsgoverningwaterqualityandtheFederalCleanWaterAct.

DenyMegaDairy(340-378)

Commentersstatedthatmodernsciencetellsusthatthereisnoreasonforhumanstoconsumecow’smilkandthatitisactuallydetrimentaltoourhealth.


Page 5 of 25

Thesecommentsrelatedtohumandietaryconcerns,arebeyondthescopeoftheproposedNPDESCAFOIndividualPermit,whichgovernsthedischargeofpollutantsintowatersoftheState.

NGOCoalition(98):Food&WaterWatch,ColumbiaRiverKeeper,FriendsofFamilyFarmers,NorthwestEnvironmentalDefenseCenter,OregonPhysiciansforSocialResponsibility,OregonChapterSierraClub,FriendsoftheColumbiaGorge,HumaneSocietyoftheUnitedStates,andCenterforBiologicalDiversity

TheNGOcoalitioncommentedaboutthepotentialofthefacilitytoemitammonia,greenhousegasesandotherairpollutants,aswellasexpressingconcernabouttheuseofpharmaceuticalsonthefacilitythattheyassertdevelopsantimicrobialresistantpathogensthatcouldultimatelythreatenpublichealth.

SeeaboveresponsesregardingconcernsaboutairemissionsfromCAFOfacilitiesandaboveresponsesaddressingcommentsaboutantibioticresistance.II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes

Variouscommentsincludedinthisdocumentaddressedthesameorsimilarconcerns.Inthissection,theAgencieshaveincludedsomegeneralresponsestothesecomments.Responsestosuchcommentsbelowwillbereferencedtoresponsesinthissection.

1. Commentersnotefederalregulationsrequirethatbestprofessionaljudgmentandbestmanagementpracticesshouldbeappliedforsurfacewaterdischargesinlieuofyet-to-be-establishedtechnologybasedlimitsforpollutantsforwhicheffluentlimitguidelineshavenotbeendevelopedonacase-by-casebasisforeachpermit.ThecommentersfurtherassertthattherearesignificantwastestreamssuchaspharmaceuticalsandmetalsthatarenotaddressedbytheeffluentlimitguidelinesforlargeCAFOs.

ItisnotclearwhetherpharmaceuticalsandmetalswillconstituteasignificantportionoftheCAFOwastestream.However,giventhatthispermitprohibitsdischargestosurfacewaters,theagenciesconsiderthisprohibitionsufficientintermsofcompliancewiththecitedfederalregulation(includingCWA40CFR122.44(a)(1)).

Intermsofpotentialdischargesofpharmaceuticalstogroundwater,withregardtolandapplicationactivities,theagencieshaveconsideredwhetheranimalpharmaceuticalsandmetalsintheCAFOwastestreamhavethepotentialtoreachgroundwater.Toaddressthisandothergroundwaterconcerns,thepermitlimitsonapplicationrates(wastewater,manureandwater),theprohibitionagainsteffluentleachingbelowtherootzone,andmandatorysoilandgroundwatermonitoringshouldprotectthegroundwaterresourcesfromanydischargesofwastewaterthatmaycontainpharmaceuticals.

Inaddition,thepermitrequiresmonitoringofgroundwaterfornitrateandotherpollutants.Nitrateisanindicatorofpollutioningeneralbecauseitisrelativelystableingroundwater,andhighlysolubleandmobile.Usingnitrate,themonitoringrequiredinthepermitwillenabletheagenciestotrackwhetherwastematerialsaremovingpasttherootzoneintothewatertable.Ifso,irrigationandapplicationrateswillbeadjustedaccordingly.


Page 6 of 25

2.Severalcommentersexpressedconcernfor:(1)dischargesofwastewaterrunofftosurfacewatersofthestate,(2)sufficiencyofprotectivemeasuresinthepermit,(3)sufficiencyofmonitoringand;(4)applicationratesoffertilizer.

Becauseoftheexistinggroundwatermanagementareaattheproposeddairysite,thePermitcontainsprotectiveprovisionsnotgenerallyincludedinCAFOPermits.TheindividualNPDESCAFOPermit(Permit)proposedforthisfacilityisdesignedtocontrolallproductionareaandlandapplicationareaoperationssothatnodischargeoccurstosurfacewatersofthestateandanydischargetogroundwaterdoesnotexceedconcentrationlimits.ThePermitincludesgroundwaterprotectivemeasuresthataddressagriculturalpracticesattheCAFOsothatnitratetrendsintheGWMAimprove.Assuch,DEQandODAarerequiringnewwastewaterfacilitiesintheGWMAtoapplynitratetreatment/controlsbeyondnorms,particularlyduetopermeablesoilsintheareaandthemechanismsofcropnutrientuptake.TheseprotectivemeasuresforLVFincludevariousenhancedrequirements:doublelinedlagoonswithleakdetection,waterchemistrysamplingbelowtherootzone,innovativefeedbackinformationtocontrolirrigationandfertilizationratesandtiming,nolandapplicationonfrozensoil,andLVFistopographicallysituatedsuchthatrunofftosurfacewatersisextremelyunlikely.

ThePermitprohibitsdischargestosurfacewaters,exceptduringafloodofspecifiedmagnitudeorgreateroccurs(1in25yearprobabilityofa24hourdesignstorm).Innormalanddesignstormconditions,anysurfacedischargeislimitedtothefollowing:ThePermitcontainsnumericeffluentlimitsrestrictinganysurfacewaterdischargethatmayoccurtothequantitationlimitof0.1mg/Lfornitrateandthequantitationlimitof2cfu/100mlforbacteria(cfu-colonyformingunits).ThepermitalsoprohibitsdischargesoftotalKjeldahlnitrgen(TKN)andtotalphosphorusof0.2mg/land0.1mg/l,respectively.

Anydischargetogroundwatermustnotexceedthebackgroundconcentrationlimitssetbytheagencies.Monitoringwellsarerequiredatthefacility.GiventhatthisfacilityisanewsourceintheGroundwaterManagementArea(GWMA,areaofshallowaquiferwithexcessivenitrateconcentrations),theagenciesmustensurethatthePermitwillnotallowanyfurtherdegradationofstatewatersandhavedonethatwiththeeffluentandgroundwatercompliancelimits.Thepermitwillbeissuedwithinterimnumericlimitsbasedonavailablepreliminarygroundwatermonitoringdataatthesite.Quarterlymonitoringhasbeenundertaken(4wellsinproductionarea),andwillbeexpandedto7morewellscoveringthelandapplicationarea.Themonitoringwellswillbelocatedaroundtheproductionandlandapplicationareastoevaluatetheimpactthefacilityoperationshaveongroundwater.Thepermitwillprovideforrefinementofthegroundwaternumericcompliancelimitsafterthefirsttwoquartersofdataareavailablefromthe7additionalwellsfollowingpermitissuance,andthenafterninequartersofmonitoringfromallwells(11ormoreifneeded),finallimitswillbeestablishedfordowngradientwells,basedonbackground,foralldowngradientcompliancewells.Concentrationlimitsareestablishedfornitrate,totalkjeldahlnitrogen(TKN),totalphosphorousandbacteria.

Thenumericconcentrationlimits,shallbeestablishedatthebackgroundwaterqualitylevelsofallcontaminantsasrequiredbyOAR340-040-0030(3)(b).

LandapplicationofmanureandprocesswastewaterisallowedinthepermitonlyifitisatorbelowagronomicapplicationratesandinaccordancewiththeAWMP.Thelandapplicationareafieldsattheproposedfacilityhaveahistoryofcropproductionincludingpivotirrigatedrowcropproductionanddripirrigatedtreeproduction.ThePermitrequiresthatallfieldsthatreceivemanure,processwastewaterorcontaminatedstormwaterbemonitoredandinstrumentedsothattheirrigationactivitiesdonotleachspecifiedpollutantsincludingnitratepasttherootzone.Allfieldsthatreceivemanure,processwastewaterorcontaminatedstormwatermusthaveannual,post-harvestsoilsamplescollectedand


Page 7 of 25

analyzedfornitratenitrogenlevelsatmultiplesoildepths.Selectedfieldswillhavelysimeters,installedimmediatelybelowtherootzone,tomonitorthesoilwaterfornutrientcontentinthevadosezone.ThePermitrequiresthatalloftheprocesswastewaterstoragelagoonsbedoublelinedwithsyntheticmaterialandequippedwithleakdetectionsystemssothatanyleakwillbedetectedandcanberepairedsothatnowastefromstoragefacilitiesentersintogroundwater.Theprocesswastestoragefacilitiesarenotallowedtoleakordischargetogroundwater.

Theagenciesrequirethattheoperatorinstallandsamplegroundwater-monitoringwellsandthepermitprohibitsexceedanceofconcentrationlimitssetbytheagenciesbasedoncalculationsofdatacollectedfromupanddowngradientmonitoringwells.Thepermitwillbeissuedwithinterimnumericlimitsbasedonavailablepreliminarygroundwatermonitoringdataatthesite.Quarterlymonitoringhasbeenundertaken(4wellsinproductionarea),andwillbeexpandedto7morewellscoveringthelandapplicationarea.Thepermitwillprovideforrefinementofthegroundwaternumericcompliancelimitsafterthefirsttwoquartersofdataareavailablefromthe7additionalwellsfollowingpermitissuance.Afterninequartersofmonitoringfromallwells(11ormoreifneeded),finallimitswillbeestablishedfordowngradientwellsbasedonbackgroundforalldowngradientcompliancewells.Concentrationlimitsareestablishedfornitrate,totalkjeldahlnitrogen(TKN),totalphosphorousandbacteria.

Therequiredgroundwater-monitoringplanwillrequirequarterlymonitoringforasuiteofchemical,biologicalandphysicalmetricsfromallofthemonitoringwells.Thegroundwater-monitoringnetworkresultswillbeusedtoevaluatewhethertheproductionareaandlandapplicationareasaremeetingthepermitrequirements.

Theproposedfacilitymustuseactualanalyticalresultsfromsamplesofmanureandprocesswastewatertocalculateagronomicapplicationrates.TheactualresultswilltakeintoaccounttheactualstoragevolatilizationlossesandreplacetheoreticalvolatilizationlosseslistedintheinitialAWMP.Therequirementforcropyieldandpost-harvestsoilmonitoringforallfieldswilltakeintoaccountallformsofnitrogenthatareappliedtothesoilbyanymeansfromanysourceandtheamountsremovedbytheharvestedcrops.

Alllandappliedmanureandprocesswastewateramountsmustbecalculatedusingactual,recentsampledataandincludeallsourcesofnitrogentodeterminetheagronomicapplicationrate.3. Thefollowingaddressescommentsregardingthepotentialforwastewaterrunofftosurfacewatersofthestate.

TheLVFdoesnotproposetodischargetoanysurfacewatersinthatitdoesnothaveanyconveyanceorpipethatdischargesdirectlyintosurfacewaters.ThisisaconcentratedanimalfeedingoperationthatispermittedonthebasisofthenumberofanimalsthatwillbeconfinedatthefacilityratherthanduetothefacilitydischargingpollutantstowatersoftheUnitedStatesastypicallyrequiresNPDESPermitcoverage.Ifthefacilityweretoexperienceadischargethatdidenteranysurfacewaterinexcessofnumericpermitlimits,suchactivitywouldconstituteapermitviolation.

Intheeventofasurfacewaterdischarge,thefacilitywouldberequiredtosampleandmonitorthedischargeaccordingtoconditionsasstatedinSectionsS4.A(1)andS4.D.(1)(2)ofthedraftpermit.Theonlysurfacewaterbodyadjacenttothefacilityisasubstantiallybermedandconcrete-linedirrigationcanalthatislocatedatanelevationthatishigherthantheCAFOproductionarea.Theregulationsrequirea100-footbufferwherelandapplicationofmanureorprocesswastewaterareprohibitedadjacenttoanysurfacewaters.Inthealternative,theregulationsspecifythatastructuralor


Page 8 of 25

topographicfeaturethatisadjacenttoanysurfacewaterinlandapplicationareasmaybepresentandsophysicallypreventfieldrunofffromenteringthesurfacewater.Inthiscase,thelocationandtheelevationofthecanalrelativetothefacilityleadstheagenciestoconcludethatitwouldbeextremelyunlikelythatstormwaterrunoffcouldenterthecanal.Inaddition,thesiteislocatedinaninteriordrainageareawithsmallcatchmentthatwouldpreventfacilitydischargesfromenteringsurfacewaters.Anyfloodingorlagoonbreachwouldnotfeasiblyovertopthelowestpourpoints(theColumbiaImprovementDistrictCanalfortheproductionareaandmuchofthelandapplicationarea;andthelowerendofsandhollow,andinteriordrainageareawhichwouldreceiveanyreleasesfromtheeasternlandapplicationareaofthesite).

ThePermitprohibitstheproductionareaandlandapplicationareasfromdirectlydischarginganymanure,processwastewaterorcontaminatedstormwaterintotheadjacentcanaloranyothersurfacewaters.TheColumbiaRiverisover9milestothenorthofthefacilityatitsclosespoint.ButterCreekisover8milestotheeastofthefacilityatitsclosestpoint.Duetothedistanceofthefacilityfromthesesurfacewatersourcesandinterveningtopography,theagenciesdonotbelievethatanydischargesfromthefacilitywouldreachthesesurfacewaters.

Theagenciesdonotbelievethattherecouldbeanydischargesfromproductionareaorlandapplicationintothecanal.Becauseofthetopographyoftheareawherethefacilityislocated,therearenooverlandflowpathsfromtheproductionareaandlandapplicationareastothelinedirrigationcanalsoranyothersurfacewaters.Usingtopographicmappingtoolsandasitevisit,DEQconservativelyestimatesthatinorderforalagoonbreachorstormeventtocausefloodingsufficientlytoflowintothecanal,surfacewaterwouldhavetoaccumulatetoadepthof6feetonaverage(12feetmaximum)overanareaof1squaremile.Thatis,3,840acre-feetofwateror,1.25billiongallons.Thetotallagoonvolume,bycomparisonis96.8milliongallons(1/13thofthepondablearea).Intermsofastormevent,thecatchmentareaissmall,lessthan150squaremiles.Theagencieshavedeterminedthatitisnotfeasiblethatfloodingorwastewatercouldrisetoalevelthatwouldimpactsurfacewater.

4. Somecommentersexpressedconcernaboutthequantityofwaterbeingusedbythedairy.

TheagenciescoordinatedthePermitdevelopmentandreviewwiththeOregonWaterResourcesDepartment(OWRD)toensurethattheamountoflegalwaternecessarytooperatethefacilityandprovideirrigationforthecropsystemwillbeavailable.Thewateruseproposedbythefacilityisprimarilyderivedfromlong-standingexistingwaterrightsthathavealwaysbeenusedforagriculturalcropproduction.Waterusedinadairyproductionprocessesisreusedseveraltimesandisultimatelycollectedintheprocesswastewatersystemandusedascropirrigationwater.OWRDisresponsibleforallwaterrightactivitiesandhasreviewedtheLVFPermitandAWMPforthedairyandcropsystemoperations.

Thedairyhasproposedtotransferexistingsurfacewaterrightstoanotherlandownerfortheirexistinggroundwaterrights.Theproposedtransferisconditionedtonotincreasetheuseofgroundwaterinthearea.LVFwillhavetooperateincompliancewithanyapplicablestatutesorrulesgoverningwaterappropriationanduse.

Inaddition,theagenciesareconditioningtheAWMPtolimitthenumberofanimalsthatmaybeconfinedonthefacilitytothatnumberwhichmaybesustainedbypresentlyavailablelegalsourcesofwatersupply.


Page 9 of 25

III.WaterQualityNPDESIndividualPermitComments

ProvidedbelowareODAandDEQ’sresponsetothespecificcommentsforthepermit.Thepersonsororganizationsthatprovidedcommentsarenamedinbold(orindexednumericallytotheenclosedlistofcommenternames)followedbyasummaryoftheircomments.TheAgencies’responseisprovidedinitalicsimmediatelyfollowingeachcomment.Say“No”toFactoryFarmsinOregon(117-338)

1. Contaminationofgroundwaterthroughexcessiveapplicationofmanureinareaswithcompromisedwaterquality.Environmentalconcerns.

Refertogeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2).

DenyWillowCreekDairyWaterPollutionPermit(339-378)

1. Proposeduseof325milliongallonsofwaterisasmuchwateras11,100Oregoniansuse.Watershouldgotocitizenstoproducemillionsofpoundsoffruitandvegetablestofeedourpeople.Oregoninseriousdroughtconditions,wecannotbewastefulwithourwater.

Seeresponseaboveaddressingwatersuppliesforthedairy.UnderOregonlaw,waterusedforagriculturalusesisabeneficialuseofwater.

2. 30,000cowswillneedtobefed,likelyaheavydietofcornandothergrainsthatneedfertilizertogrow.Bothfertilizerandthe187milliongallonsofmanurerunoffintoourwaterways.Runoffisrichinnutrientslikenitrogenthatendupcausinganimbalanceinwaterthatleadstodeadzones.

Seeresponsesaboveaddressingsurfacewaterdischarge.TheindividualNPDESCAFOPermit(Permit)proposedforthisfacilityisdesignedtocontrolallproductionareaandlandapplicationareaoperationssothatnodischargeoccurstosurfacewatersofthestateandanydischargetogroundwaterdoesnotexceedconcentrationlimits.

Permitprohibitions,controlsandmonitoringdesignedtopreventrunoffisfurtheraddressedinaprecedingcommentarefurtheraddressedingeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2).

NGOCoalition(98):Food&WaterJusticeProgram,ColumbiaRiverKeeper,FriendsofFamilyFarmers,NorthwestEnvironmentalDefenseCenter,OregonPhysiciansforSocialResponsibility,OregonChapterSierraClub,FriendsoftheColumbiaGorge,HumaneSocietyoftheUnitedStates,andCenterforBiologicalDiversity

Initialcommentperiod(8/4/16):

1.CAFOPollutionisasignificantthreattoOregon’sWaterways.

TheagenciesagreethatCAFOsgenerateandmustmanagelargequantitiesofpotentialpollutantsandforthosereasonshaverequiredLVFtoobtainanNPDESCAFOIndividualPermit.ThePermitcontainslimitationsandrequirementsthatpreventspecificdischargesandprotectbothsurfaceandgroundwatersofOregon.


Page 10 of 25

Alsorefertogeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2).

2. Permitviolatesstatelawsandpoliciesaimedatprotectingpeopleofcolorandlow-incomecommunities.

ORS182.545(1)isthestatestatutethatrequiresnaturalresourceagenciestoconsidertheeffectsofactionsonunder-representedcommunities,includingpeopleofcolorandlow-incomecommunities.ODAandDEQcompliedwiththestatute,andtheEnvironmentalJustice(EJ)outreachplanandactivitylistareattachedtothePermitEvaluationReport.

Specifically,thestatuterequiresnaturalresourceagenciesto(1)considertheeffectsofactionsonEJissues,(2)holdhearingsattimesandlocationsthatareconvenientforaffectedcommunities,(3)engageinpublicoutreachintheaffectedcommunities,and(4)createacitizenadvocatepositiontoencouragepublicparticipation,thattheagenciesconsiderEJissuesandinformtheagencyoftheeffectofitsdecisionsontraditionallyunder-representedcommunities.

BasedontheinitialpubliccommentandarequestfromtheOregonEnvironmentalJusticeTaskForce,theagenciesagreedtore-openthepubliccommentperiodtoenhanceoutreachwithEJconcernsasafocus.Duringthisperiod,theagenciesreceivedanadditional2,021comments.

TheagenciesalsousedanEJdemographicdata/queryresource,EJSCREEN,phonecallsandvisitstocommunityleaderstoidentifyunder-representedcommunities.ItwasdeterminedthatlowincomeandHispanicpeopleconstitutetheminorityandunder-representedcommunitiesinthearea,withtheConfederatedTribesoftheUmatillaIndianReservation(CTUIR)alsoexpressingEJconcerns.Combiningbothpubliccommentintervals,theinitialandenhancedpubliccommentperiodsincludedthefollowing:

• TheNoticewaspublishedintheHermistonHeraldandtheEasternOregoniannewspapers,whichareregionalnewspapersthatwouldreachreaderslocatedintheareawherethefacilityisproposed.

• TheagenciesissuedjointpressreleasestoNorthMorrowCountyTimesand‘tudecides’(bilingualnewspaper).

• TheagenciespostedtheNoticetotheirrespectivewebsitesandtoalistservmaintainedbytheOregonStateLibrary.

• ThehearingwasheldinBoardman(OR)wheremanyEJcommunitymemberslive.• TheagenciesconsultedwiththeCTUIRonthreeoccasions,andwithCTUIRattendedameeting

withtheOregonEnvironmentalJusticeTaskForce.• TheagenciestribalcoordinatorshavereviewedtheCAFOProgramactivitiesandhowto

interfacewithtribalnationsinOregon.• AbilingualpresentationwasmadetotheHermiston’sHispanicAdvisoryCommittee.• Managersandcommunicationspecialistsoftheagencieshadnumerousdiscussionswiththose

whoserepresentationmayincludetheunder-representedcommunity:Capeco,LegalAid,PCUN,BlueMountainCommunityCollegeworkertrainingprogram,UmatillaCountyHousingAuthority,UnitedFarmWorkers,localgovernmentplanners,FarmWorkerProgramattheOregonLawCenter,citymanagersandmayors.

• TheagencieshavepositionswithassignedCitizenAdvocateduties.

Theagenciesdidlookatthepotentialimpactsfromthefacilityandwereabletodrawsomeconclusions.Specifically,thisassessmentincluded:


Page 11 of 25

• IdentifyingthedemographicsnearthesiteandcommunicatingwithEnvironmentalJusticegroups(low-incomeandHispaniccommunities).

• WorkingwiththeOregonHealthAuthoritytoidentifypotentialthreatstopublicwatersupplies.• Assessingtheproximityofresidentialhomesandcommunitiestotheproposeddairy.Toidentifydemographics,ODAandDEQtalkedwithpeoplewhocommentedonEnvironmentalJusticeissues,includinglocalcityandcountyofficialsandtheConfederatedTribesoftheUmatillaIndianReservation.ODAandDEQthenusedtheEJSCREENtooltolookatthedemographicsofpeoplelivingandworkingwithina9.3-mile(15km)radiusofthesite.TheEJSCREENtoolindicatedthatthereareHispanicandlowincomecommunitieswithinthisradius.

ODAandDEQthenheldmeetingstogathermoreinformation.Usingatranslator,theagencymetwiththeHermistonHispanicCommitteetodiscusstheproposalandtheanticipatedenvironmentalimpacts,includingairandwaterqualityimpacts.TheprojectwasalsodiscussedonalocalSpanishradiostationandbilingualflyersweredistributedseekinginput.ODAandDEQdidnotreceiveanyobjectionsorhearofanyconcernsfromdisproportionallyimpactedgroupsrelatedtotheproposedproject.Representationfromthelocaldairyunionandapproximately40ofthe70individualsinattendanceshowedupfromtheHispaniccommunityinsupportfortheprojectduringthepublichearingheldonJuly28,2017.Manyofthesupportersdescribedthatthejobsandbenefitscreatedbytheproposalwouldallowdairyworkersandassociatedindustriesemployeestoparticipatemorefullyintheirlocalcommunities.

Todeterminepotentialthreatstopublicwatersupplies,DEQmetwiththeOregonHealthAuthoritytoidentifyanypublicwatersupplysystemslocatedinthevicinityoftheproposeddairy.ThedairyislocatedintheLowerUmatillaBasinGroundwaterManagementArea,wherenitrateisthepollutantofgreatestconcern.Thedairywouldbeapotentialsourceofnitrates,thuscontributingtogroundwatercontaminationintheGWMA.Thedairyposesapotentialthreattobothpublicandprivatedrinkingwatersupplies.Thereare81publicwatersupplysystemsintheGWMA,andfiveofthosearewithina10milesoftheDairy.Threeofthosesystemsarelocatedwithinasix-mileradiusofthedairy,thedistancefromtheDairytoInterstateI-84.Inadditiontothesepublicsystems,therearemanymoreprivatedrinkingwatersystemslocatedintheGWMA.AsthedairyisupgradientofalargepartoftheGWMA,anygroundwaterpollutantsemanatingfromthedairycouldpotentiallyimpactabroadareaoftheshallowaquiferwithintheGWMA.Within9.3miles(15km)oftheDairy,55%ofpeoplelivinginthisareaareHispanicandtheareaisgenerallylowincome(Table5.4.3-1).

Thethirdpartoftheanalysislookedathousesandcommunitiesclosetothedairy.DEQusedaerialimageryandmappingtoolstomeasurestraight-linedistancesfromthedairytothefollowingcommunities:Boardman(6.6miles),Irrigon(10.1miles),Umatilla(15.1miles),Hermiston(12.1miles),Stanfield(15.9miles)andEcho(15.8miles).AllofthesecommunitiesareknowntoincludepopulationsofHispanicandlow-incomepeople.

Asidefromthosecommunities,DEQfoundveryfewhousesordwellingslocatedwithinasix-square-mileradiusoftheproposeddairy.Interstate84issixmilesfromthedairy,withscatteredhomeslocatedalongtheinterstate.TheEJSCREENresults(Table5.4.3-1)showper-capitaincomeandHispanicpopulationslivingwithina5,10and15-kilometerradius.

Table5.4.3-1


Page 12 of 25

DistancefromDairy

%Hispanic percapitaincome

9.3mile(15km)radius

55 $21,391

6.2mile(10km)radius

15 $21,232

3.1mile(5km)radius

0 $20,882

Tablenote:comparewithPendleton($45,930), Oregon($50,521),andtheUnitedStates($53,482)

Aftercommunicatingwithlocalsandfurtherassessingenvironmentalimpacts,ODAandDEQrecognizethattheproposeddairycoulddisparatelyimpactlower-incomeandHispaniccommunities.ODAandDEQdeterminedthatveryfewpeopleliveincloseproximitytothesite,whichreducesthelikelihoodofpeoplebeingnegativelyimpactedbyemissionsandodors.Asforgroundwaterconcerns,theapproachistoprepareapermitthatsufficientlyprotectswaterqualityandpreventsgroundwaterandsurfacewatercontaminationasdiscussedabove.Thisisdonethroughpollutioncontrols,limits,groundwatermonitoringandrelianceonbestmanagementpractices.

3.Permitislegallydeficient:

a. Lacksrequiredsurfacewatermonitoringrequirements.

Refertothegeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(3)whichdescribesalowprobabilityofwastewaterrunofftosurfacewater.Regardlessofthelowprobabilityofsuchaneventoccurring,ifthefacilityweretoexperienceadischargethatdidenteranysurfacewater,itwouldbeapermitviolation.Thenumericeffluentlimitforanysurfacewaterdischargeiszeroorthelabquantificationlimitbasedofthemethodofanalysis.Intheeventofasurfacewaterdischarge,thefacilitywouldhavetosampleandmonitorthedischargeaccordingtoconditionsinSectionsS4.A(1)andS4.D.(1)(2)ofthepermit.

Forfurtherdiscussionofcontrolsandassociatedmonitoring,alsoreferto:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2).

b. AWMPisdeficientandunderprotectiveofwaterquality.

TheagenciesarerequiringtheapplicanttoamendtheAWMPtoaddressthefollowingconcerns:Agencieswillnotallowanyapplicationofmanureorprocesswastewatertosoilsthatarefrozenorsnowcovered.TheapplicantmustremoveallreferencesofmanureorprocesswastewaterapplicationstofrozenorsnowcoveredsoilsfromtheAWMP.

Agencieswillnotallowanytemporarystorageorstagingofsolidmanureincirclecorners.Theapplicantmustremoveanyreferencetostoringorstagingsolidmanureincirclecorners.AWMPmustreflectthatallsolidmanuremustbestoredonlyindesignedandapprovedstorageareasintheproductionarea.


Page 13 of 25

Agencieswillnotallowthelagoonstoragefacilitiestohavedesignedleakageratesoroperatewithaleakyliner.Theapplicantmustremoveanyreferencetoanyallowedlagoonlinerleakage.ThelagoonOperationandMaintenancedocumentsmustlisthowtheleakdetectionsystemwilloperateandhowtheapplicantwillnotifyODAintheeventofaleak.Theagencieswillrequirethatanydetectedleakberepairedandthefacilityrestoredtothedesignspecifications.

AgenciesrequirethattheagronomicapplicationratecalculationformulaaccountforallsourcesofnitrogenandphosphorousappliedtofieldslistedintheAWMP.Thecropnutrientneedcalculationshouldincludetheexpectedcropyield(units)andthespecificnutrientneedperunitofcropyield.Totalnutrientapplicationcalculationis(Units)ofcropyieldX(Pounds)ofnutrientremovedperunitofcropyield=agronomicapplicationrateofnutrientin(Pounds).Anutrientsourcecalculationisrequiredtodeterminetheamountofnutrientsfromallsources.Sourcesinclude,butarenotlimitedto,plantavailablenutrientsfrommanureorprocesswastewaterapplication(s),plantavailablenutrientsfromcommercialfertilizer,compost,orothersoilamendmentsapplied,plantavailablenutrientsfromsoilandorganicmattermineralizationandplantavailablenutrientsfromirrigationwaterapplications.Selectedfieldswillhavelysimetersinstalledimmediatelybelowtherootzone,tomonitorthesoilwaterfornutrientcontentinthevadosezone.Feedbackfromthismonitoringwillresultinmoreprotectivefertilization/irrigationmeasures,ifneeded.

TheAWMPforthisfacilitywasdevelopedwithestimatednumbersbecauseactualtestdataisnotavailablesincethefacilityisnotyetoperable.ODArequiresthattheapplicantanalyzesamplesofmanureandprocesswastewaterasitisgeneratedandmustusethoseactualdatatoupdatetheAWMPwithin12monthsofstartingoperations.

c. Anti-degradationreviewisinadequate.

Surfacewater.TheEQCanti-degradationpolicyandtheFederalregulationsthatimplementitonlyapplytosurfacewaters,intermsoftherequirementforananti-degradationreview[340-041-0004(1)].Referto:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(3)foranexplanationofdischargeprohibitionandthetopographicinfeasibilityofwastewaterrunofftosurfacewaters.Theanti-degradationreviewsheetisusedinconjunctionwithevaluationofasurfacewaterdischargeunderanNPDESpermit.DEQ’santi-degradationpolicyalsoemphasizesthepreventionofgroundwaterpollution.ForpermittedfacilitiessuchasLVF,preventionofgroundwaterpollutionisdonebyestablishingconcentrationlimitsatdown-gradientcompliancewellsatbackgroundwaterqualitylevels.Thisisaddressedintheproposedpermitandmodificationsassociatedwiththepubliccommentsreceived.

Groundwater.Whileaformalanti-degradationreviewisnotrequiredforgroundwater,OAR340-040includesrequirementsthatgroundwaternotbedegradedaswell.Permitlimitsformonitoringwellstargetbackgroundsoastopreventdegradationofgroundwater.Inaddition,permitlimitsonleachingbelowthecroprootzoneandmonitoringatthisdepthandleakdetectionofthelagoons,allsupportminimizationofpotentialgroundwatercontamination.Thewastestoragelagoonsmustbeconstructedwithdouble-linedsyntheticmaterialandwillhavealeakdetectionsystemtonotifytheoperatorifanyleaksoccur.Theagenciesrequiretheoperatortooperateandmaintainthelagoonsystemsothatitdoesnotleak.Ifaleakisdetected,theoperatormustinformtheagenciesandrepairthefacilitytorestoreittoasealedsystem.

d. PermitignoresUmatillaBasinTotalmaximumdailyload(TMDL)requirements.


Page 14 of 25

TheUmatillaTMDLdoesnotapplytothisdrainagearea.TheUmatillaTMDLappliestoallwatersintheUmatillasub-basin(thisisthetopographicareaofallpotentialdrainagetotheUmatillaRiver)thatdrainintotheUmatillaRiver.Thenearesttributaryinthesub-basinisSandHollowtotheeastofLVF,topographicallyseparatingLVFfromtheUmatillaRiveranditstributaries.SandHollowisaninteriordrainagebasinanddoesnotflowtotheUmatillaRiverhence;itwasexcludedfromtheUmatillaTMDL,asareanywaterstotheWestofSandHollow.

e. MustprohibitpracticesknowntothreatenWQ.

Refertogeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2)

f. Lacksrequiredreasonablepotentialanalysis.

ReasonablePotentialAnalysisrequired.ThisanalysisisanassessmentofwhetherpollutantdischargestowatersoftheUnitedStateshavethepotentialtocauseorcontributetoexceedanceofwaterqualitystandardsinthereceivingsurfacewaterbody.ThisrequirementappliesonlywhenODAandDEQdeterminethattherewillbeapointsourcedischargeofpollutantstosurfacewaters.Oregon’sCAFOstatutes(ORS468B.050(1)(d)prohibitsuchdischarges.TheproposedpermitprohibitsanysurfacewaterdischargefromthefacilityexceptintheeventofaspecifiedstormandthenthatdischargecannotcauseaviolationofnumericstandardsfornitrogenandbacteriasetinthePermit.WQBELdevelopmentreferencedinEPA’sNPDESPermitWritersManualforCAFOswaswrittenforstatesthatauthorizeCAFOstoregularlydischargetowatersoftheUS.

5. Permitgroundwatercontrolsandmonitoringareinadequate.


5.Proposedwaterwithdrawalsareunreasonable.


6.Factsheet(PER)discussionofcompliancehistoryisinadequate.

LostValleyRanchisanewlyproposedfacility,thusthereisnocompliancehistoryestablishedatthissite.Theapplicantcurrentlyoperatesapermitted,leaseddairyfacilityinOregonandODAhasinspectedthatfacility27timessince2001.Theinspectionsresultedin19FacilityinComplianceoutcomes,6WaterQualityAdvisoryoutcomesand2NoticeofNonComplianceoutcomes.Theapplicantandthefacilityownershavebeenresponsiveinreturningthefacilitybacktocompliance.ThePERwasupdatedwiththisresponse.

NGOCoalition(98)Food&WaterJusticeProgram,ColumbiaRiverKeeper,FriendsofFamilyFarmers,NorthwestEnvironmentalDefenseCenter,OregonPhysiciansforSocialResponsibility,OregonChapterSierraClub,FriendsoftheColumbiaGorge,HumaneSocietyoftheUnitedStates,andCenterforBiologicalDiversitywithCenterforFoodSafety,WaterWatchofOregon,HumaneOregon,SociallyResponsibleAgriculturalProject

ExtendedCommentPeriod(11/4/16):

1. PermitwarrantsU.S.EPAOversight

UnderEPA’soversightauthority,EPAmayreview,commentuponorobjecttodraftNPDESpermits.Specifically40CFR123.44outlinestheproceduresandrequirementsforEPAreviewand


Page 15 of 25

objectiontoStatepermits.Inaddition,theNationalPollutantDischargeEliminationSystemMemorandumofAgreementbetweentheStateofOregonandUnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyRegion10(MOA)providesforaprocessforEPA’sinformalreviewofpermitdocuments.Under40CFR123.44andtheMOA,itisclearthatEPAhasthediscretiontoreview,commentuponandobjecttoNPDESpermits;itisnotrequiredtodoso.Withregardtothecurrentpermit,whileEPAhasnotformallycommenteduponorobjectedtothepermit,EPAhasseenthedraftpermitandbothODAandDEQhaveconsultedwithEPAduringitsdevelopment.

2. DEQandODAhavediscretiontodenyNPDESPermitandshouldexerciseitinthiscase.

ODAandDEQdeterminedthatapermitcanbeissuedconsistentwithapplicablestatutesandregulationsinORS468B.015,468B.020,468B.155,468B.160and468B.215.Theagencieshavedevelopedapermitthatcontainsconditionsthatwouldachievecompliancewithapplicableregulatorystandards.Theagencieshavedeterminedthatthepermitteewouldbereasonablyabletocomplywiththepermitconditions.

3. Additionalconcernsaboutgroundwatercontamination.

a. Changesinlanduseposeaparticularthreattogroundwaterqualityatthissite.

TheagenciesrelyontheCounty’sLandUseCompatibilityStatementdeterminationthattheproposedlanduseisconsistentwithlocalplansandlocallanduseregulations.OAR340-018-0050.ThefacilitysitingisnotachangeinlanduseastheproposedproductionareaandalllandapplicationareasarecurrentlyzonedExclusiveFarmUse(EFU)andhavebeensince1972.AdairyoperationisanoutrightpermitteduseintheEFUzone.Thelandapplicationareaoftheproposedoperationhasalonghistoryofgrowingirrigated,agriculturalcropssuchasalfalfa,vegetables,andtrees.ThepoplartreesthatwerepreviouslygrownonthesitearedefinedasanagriculturalcropinOregon.Thepoplarfarmspreviouslyonsiterequiredverylittleappliednitrogenfertilizer.TheCAFOpermitrequiresprotectionofwaterquality.

b. Groundwaterdischargelimitationmustbesetat0orcumulativeimpactanalysisconducted.

Oregongroundwaterrules[340-040-0030(3)(b)]specify“ConcentrationLimitatNewFacilities:Thepermit-specificconcentrationlimitsatnewfacilitiesshallbeestablishedatthebackgroundwaterqualitylevelsforallcontaminants.Accordingly,interimnumericconcentrationlimitsareincludedinthepermitforgroundwatermonitoringwells,andasadditionalsitesanddataareavailable(seepreviousresponses)refinedlimitswillberequiredandultimately,afterninequartersofmonitoring,finalnumericlimitswillbeestablishedfordown-gradientwells,basedonbackground.

Thecalculatedconcentrationlimitsforgroundwatermonitoringwellswillbebasedon‘noincreaseaboveaquiferbackgroundconcentrations’withemphasisonnitrate.

Alsoseeresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(6)

c. NotazerodischargepermitandlandapplicationwillviolateOregonlaw.

TheLVFdoesnotproposetodischargetoanysurfacewatersinthatisdoesnothaveanyconveyanceorpipethatdischargesdirectlyintosurfacewaters.ThisisaCAFOfacilityandnotatypicalcontinuouslydischargingfacilitythatrequiresNPDESPermitcoverage.Ifthefacilityweretoexperienceadischargethatdidenteranysurfacewater,asevidencedbythepresenceofspecifiedindicatorparametersatconcentrationlimitsabovethelimitofquantitation,itwouldbeapermitviolation.


Page 16 of 25

Intheeventofasurfacewaterdischarge,thefacilitywouldhavetosampleandmonitorthedischargeaccordingtoconditionsinS4.A(1)andS4.D.(1)(2)TheonlysurfacewaterbodyadjacenttothefacilityisanirrigationcanalthatislocatedatanelevationthatishigherthantheCAFOproductionareawhichmakesitimpossibleforstormwaterrunofftoenterthecanal.A100-footbufferwherelandapplicationofmanureorprocesswastewaterisprohibitedorastructuralortopographicfeaturethatwouldprohibitfieldrunofffromenteringthesurfacewaterisrequiredadjacenttoanysurfacewaterinlandapplicationareas.4. Thedraftpermitdoesnotadequatelyaddresssurfacewaterimpacts.

a. LVRwilllikelydischargetosurfacewaterviagroundwater.

ThepermittingAgenciesagreewiththiscomment.Anynitrateleachingfromthefacilitywouldentergroundwater,andintermsofconcentrations,mustcomplywiththepermitandgroundwaterprotectionrules(OAR340-040-0030).Notonlymustleachingbeminimizedinaccordancewiththepermitbut,groundwaterlimitsareestablishedsoasnottoincreaseaquifercontaminantconcentrations.Undoubtedly,nitratefromthesurroundingGWMAwillentertheColumbiaandUmatillaRivers.TheColumbiaRiveristhenorthernboundaryoftheGWMAandthelowerUmatillaRiverisintheGWMA.Fortunately,theinfluenceofgroundwaternitrateontheseriversisundetectable.Forinstance,longtermmonitoringofthelengthoftheUmatillaRiverrevealsthatnitrateconcentrationsintheriverincreasedownstreamtoHermistonandthendecreasedownstreamfromrivermile8.TheGWMAboundaryisatrivermile35.Throughthefirst20milesofGWMA,riverconcentrationsrangefromnon-detectto1.7mg/l.Atrivermile8,concentrationsrangefromnon-detectto6.9mg/l.Belowthis,theriverrangesfrom0.27to4.3mg/l.ThisisnotatanexpectedpatterniftheGWMAwascontrollingnitrogenconcentrationsintheriver.TheColumbiaRivernitrateisgenerallyatundetectableconcentrations,andhasordersofmagnitudemoreflowthantheUmatillaRiver,providingavastcapacitytoassimilategroundwaternitratewithoutadverselyaffectingbeneficialuses.

b. LVRwilllikelydischargetosurfacewatervianitrogendeposition.

Regardingdepositionfromtheair,therearenostateorfederalairqualitypermitrequirementsfordairyfarmstocontrolorregulateairemissionsofnitrogen.Forwater,theproposedwaterqualityPermitdoesrequiremonitoringofsoil,surfacewatersandgroundwateradjacenttoandundertheproposedfacilityandprohibitsdischargestosurfacewaters.

5. AdditionalconcernsaboutthedraftAWMP.

a. AWMPdoesnotcomplywithfederalregulations.

TheagenciesarerequiringtheapplicanttoamendtheAWMPtoaddressthefollowingconcerns:

-Agencieswillnotallowanyapplicationofmanureorprocesswastewatertosoilsthatarefrozenorsnowcovered.TheapplicantmustremoveallreferencesofmanureorprocesswastewaterapplicationstofrozenorsnowcoveredsoilsfromtheAWMP.

-Agencieswillnotallowanytemporarystorageorstagingofsolidmanureincirclecorners.Theapplicantmustremoveanyreferencetostoringorstagingsolidmanureincirclecorners.AWMPmustreflectthatallsolidmanuremustbestoredonlyindesignedandapprovedstorageareasintheproductionarea.


Page 17 of 25

Agencieswillnotallowthelagoonstoragefacilitiestohavedesignedleakageratesoroperatewithaleakyliner.Theapplicantmustremoveanyreferencetoanyallowedlagoonlinerleakage.ThelagoonOperationandMaintenancedocumentsmustlisthowtheleakdetectionsystemwilloperateandhowtheapplicantwillnotifyODAintheeventofaleak.Theagencieswillrequirethatanydetectedleakberepairedandthefacilityrestoredtothedesignspecifications.

AgenciesrequirethattheagronomicapplicationratecalculationformulaaccountforallsourcesofnitrogenandphosphorousappliedtofieldslistedintheAWMP.Thecropnutrientneedcalculationshouldincludetheexpectedcropyield(units)andthespecificnutrientneedperunitofcropyield.Totalnutrientapplicationcalculationis:(Units)ofcropyieldX(Pounds)ofnutrientremovedperunitofcropyield=agronomicapplicationrateofnutrientin(Pounds).Anutrientsourcecalculationisrequiredtodeterminetheamountofnutrientsfromallsources.Sourcesinclude,butarenotlimitedto,plantavailablenutrientsfrommanureorprocesswastewaterapplication(s),plantavailablenutrientsfromcommercialfertilizer,compost,orothersoilamendmentsapplied,plantavailablenutrientsfromsoilandorganicmattermineralizationandplantavailablenutrientsfromirrigationwaterapplications.Selectedfieldswillhavelysimetersinstalledimmediatelybelowtherootzone,tomonitorthesoilwaterfornutrientcontentinthevadosezone.Feedbackfromthismonitoringwillresultinmoreprotectivefertilization/irrigationmeasures,ifneeded.

AgenciesrequirethatthetimingofmanureandprocesswastewaterapplicationsbelistedintheAWMP.

Agenciesrequirethattheoperationofthefacilitybelimitedtoonlythenumberofanimalsthatmaybesustainedbypresentlyavailablelegalsourcesofwatersupplyandtoinformtheagenciesatpermitissuanceonthequantityofpresentlyavailablelegalsourcesofwatersupplyandthenumberofanimalsthatmaybesustained.Operationwouldalsohavetoinformtheagenciesifanychangeinwatersourceoramountoccurs.

b. Additionalrecommendationsforgroundwatermonitoringplan(establishrobustgroundwaterbaselinepriortobeginningoperations).

Theagenciesarerequiringanadditional7groundwater-monitoringwellstobeinstalled.Atotalof11groundwater-monitoringwellswillbesampledandthedatausedtodeterminecompliancewithgroundwaterconcentrationlimits.Theagencieswillrequireare-submissionoftheHydrologicCharacterizationReportafterthedatafromtheadditionalmonitoringwellshasbeenanalyzed.Theagencieswillrequireare-submissionoftheMonitoringPlanthatincludesmonitoringtheadditionalgroundwaterwells.

6.DraftPermitlacksBestProfessionalJudgment(BPJ)limitsforpollutantsofconcern.


IvanMulaski,FriendsofFamilyFarmers(96)

1.Proximitytootherlargedairiesandcumulativeimpacts

TheagenciesconsideredthecumulativeimpactofCAFOsintheareawheretheproposeddairywouldbelocated.AlloftheexistingadjacentCAFOsareregisteredtoCAFOPermitsthatprohibitdischargetosurfacewatersthatwouldcauseorcontributetoanywaterqualityviolationandcannothaveanydischargethatexceedsgroundwaterconcentrationlimits.Thesurfacewaterdischargelimitationsforalloftheexistingdairiesiszero(surfacedischargeisprohibited).Therearecurrentlynoregulationsor


Page 18 of 25

limitsthattheagenciescouldconsideronthenumberofhumanoranimalresidentslocatingintotheLUBGWMA.ImpactstotheGWMAincludethecumulativeimpactsofwastewaterlandapplication,conventionalagriculture,municipalitiesandothersourcesofaquifernitrateloading.Thisisbeingaddressedinseveralwaysincludingthefollowing:first,whenissuingorrenewingwastewaterpermitsintheGWMA,includingLostValley,thepermitsarepreparedtobeprotectiveofgroundwater,second,theongoingGWMACommitteeandDEQ,OSUandODAspecialistsviewtheGWMAasawhole,andpromotebestmanagementpracticesthroughout.Inaddition,newresearchintoGWMA-specificagronomicratesisbeingrequestedandtheagenciesareworkingwithirrigationwaterusersandagriculturaloperationstopromoteimplementationofnewpromisingtechnologiesforaquiferwaterqualityimprovement.

2.Constructioncommencingpriortopermitissuance.

ODAconductedacomplianceinspectionanddeterminedthatpartsofthefacilitywerealreadyconstructedthatrequiredtheCAFOPermitissuance.Accordingly,ODAissuedaWaterQualityAdvisory(WQA),#1626609onNovember1,2016,thatrequiredtheoperatortoceaseconstructiononanypartofthefacilitythatisusedtotreatorstoremanureorprocesswastewateruntiltheCAFOPermithasbeenissued.ODAandDEQwillconductsiteinspectionsduringtheconstructionphaseforspecificwastestoragefacilities.ODAhasconductedafollowupinspection#1726621,onJanuary24,2017anddeterminedthattheoperatorwascomplyingwiththeWQAandthatnoanimalswerepresentandnoanimalwasteorprocesswastewaterwasbeinggeneratedatthefacility.3.AWMPdoesnotcontainenoughspecificityonsurfaceandgroundwaterprotections.

TheprotectionsforsurfaceandgroundwaterarecontainedinthePermit.Also,refertothegeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2);regardingprotectionsandSectionIVforchangestothepermitresultingfrompubliccomment.

4.ODAshouldnotapprovepermitbeforealldocumentsaremadeavailableforpublicreview.

TheagenciesprovidedalloftherequireddocumentsforpublicreviewduringthepublicnoticeandcommentperiodthatranfromJune28,2016toNovember4,2016.

5.Anaerobicdigesterdetailsandrequirementsforconstructionneeded.

LVFisnotplanningoninstallingoroperatingadigesteratthistime.IfLVFdoesproposeadigesteratafuturedate,theywillneedtosubmitaconstructionapprovalrequestthatincludesacompletedesignpackage.Theagencieswouldreviewtheproposalandneedtoapproveitpriortoconstruction.Ifthedigesterprojectutilizedaninternalcombustionenginetogenerateelectricity,itwouldrequireanairqualitypermitfromDEQfortheenginecombustionemissions.

6. GWconcentrationlimitsshouldbesetbeforeconstructionisallowedorpermitisissued.

RefertoNGOCoalition(98),responsenumber3b(pg.15)

7. ODAhasadirectlegalobligationtoanalyzeanddisclosepotentialeconomicimpactsonOregonAgricultureandriskstofamilyscaledairyoperations.

AnyanalysisanddisclosureofpotentialeconomicimpactstoOregonagriculturearebeyondthescopeoftheproposedNPDESCAFOIndividualPermit.


Page 19 of 25

MorrowCounty(38)

1. Compliancewithallapplicablelocallanduserequirements.

WhilelandusecommentsarebeyondthescopeoftheproposedNPDESCAFOPermit,theagenciescouldnotissueaCAFOpermittothefacilitywithoutitfirstobtaininglanduseapproval.ThefollowingresponseisprovidedtodescribetheinteractionoflandusewiththeproposedCAFOPermit.TheapplicantsubmittedaLand-UseCompatibilityStatement(LUCS)thatwascompletedandapprovedbyMorrowCountyPlanningDepartmentstatingtheproposeddairyfacilitywasanoutrightpermitteduseintheEFUzone.ThefacilitysitingisnotachangeinlanduseastheproposedproductionareaandalllandapplicationareasarecurrentlyzonedExclusiveFarmUse(EFU).AdairyoperationisanoutrightpermitteduseintheEFUzone.Thelandapplicationareaoftheproposedoperationhasalonghistoryofgrowingirrigated,agriculturalcropssuchasalfalfa,vegetables,andtrees.ThepoplartreesthatwerepreviouslygrownonthesitearedefinedasanagriculturalcropinOregon.

TheagenciesexpectthattheapplicantwillcomplywithanyotherlocalbuildingpermitorotherconstructioncodepermitrequirementsonceaCAFOPermitisissued.

2. NewdairyinLUBGWMAincreasesnitrogenloading.


3. Waterquantityandwateruseconcernsforanewfacilityincriticalgroundwaterarea.


4. ImpactofnewdairytoadjacentColumbiaImprovementDistrictcanal.Impactofpotentiallagoonfailuretoinfrastructureandwaterquality.

Theelevationofthecanalismuchhigherthantheelevationofthetopofembankmentforanyoftheproposedlagoons.Thelagoonsarelocatedatthelowestpointofthesiteandifalagoonwastoovertop,theliquidwouldnottraveluphilltowardthecanal.Thelagoonsdesignsincludedoublepolylinerswithleakdetectionsystemssothatnomanureorprocesswastewaterseepsintogroundwaterorintothecanal.Thelagoonsmusthaveliquidlevelgaugesthataremonitoredandrecordedweeklysothatlagoonoverflowsdonotoccur.Thelagooncomplexandallwastecollection,transferandutilizationstructuresmustbeinspectedweekly,theconditionrecordedandrepairsmadetokeepthesystemsfunctional.ThepermitteemustreportanyPermitnon-complianceoranticipatednon-compliancetotheagencies.Forfurtherinformation,refertoNGOCoalition(98)response3c(pg.15),andgeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(3).

BrianPosewitz,HumaneOregon(101)

Concernsaboutwaterqualityimpacts.


Petition#1-InitialCommentPeriod(378-2245)

Petitionsignedby1,868individualscontainingconcernsofwaterqualityandwaterquantityimpacts.

1.WaterQuality:


Page 20 of 25

Alsorefertogeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2)2.WaterQuantity:


SarahHanneken(112)

A. YakimaValley,WA,CowPalaceDairyandgroundwatercontamination.

UnliketheYakimaValley,WA,CowPalacecase,Oregonrequiresalldairieswithgrade“A”milklicensestoobtainandoperateunderaCAFOPermit.TheagenciesarerequiringtheproposeddairytoobtainandoperateunderanIndividualNPDESCAFOPermitthatcontainsstringentrequirementsforgroundwaterprotectionandprohibitssurfacewaterdischargesfromthefacility.SpecificPermitrequirementsarethatallmanureandprocesswastewaterlagoonswillbedoublelinedwithsyntheticmaterialandhavealeakdetectionsysteminstalled.11groundwater-monitoringwellswillbeinstalledandmonitoredquarterlyformultipleconstituentstodetermineifthefacilityoperationsareimpactinggroundwater.

B.Environmentalandsocialjustice/EnvironmentalJusticeissues(asaresultofgroundwatercontamination).

RefertoresponseofSectionIII.WaterQualityNPDESIndividualPermitcomments,NGOCoalition(98),commentnumber2.

C.Lagoondischargeof3.7milliongallonsannually.

DEQrequiresthatwastewaterlagoonsaredesignedtocriteriaoflessthan10-6cm/sleakagerateandacalculatedspecificdischarge.TherequireddesignoftheLVFlagoonismuchmoreprotectivethanthisbecausetheprocesswastewaterstoragelagoonsmustbeconstructedwithadoubleliningofsyntheticmaterialandequippedwithleakdetectionsystem.Anyleakagefromthelinerwouldbecaughtinadouble-linerenvelopewhereitwouldhavenoneoftheleakagepressureoftheinnerlinerandwouldbedetectedandtheleakrepaired.TheEngineerofRecorddidcalculatealinerleakageintheeventoflinerfailure,buttheprocesswastestoragefacilitiesarenotallowedtoleakordischargetogroundwater.Theagencieswillrequirethatitberepaired.Partofthereasonforplurallagoonsisaredundancymeasuretoenablede-wateringofaleakinglagoonforrepair.Theagenciesrequirethatthepermitteeoperateandmaintainthelagoonsystemsothatitdoesnotleak.Ifaleakisdetected,thepermitteemustreportthattotheagenciesandrepairthelinertorestoreitsothatnoleakageoccurssothatanyleakwillbedetectedandrepairedsothatwastefromstoragefacilitiescannotenterintogroundwater.

D. Nitratecontaminationofsurfaceandgroundwatersduetosoilcharacteristics.

Theagencieswillrequiretheoperatortoinstallandsamplegroundwater-monitoringwellsandnotexceedconcentrationlimitssetbytheagenciesbasedoncalculationsofdatacollectedinupanddown-gradientmonitoringwells.Atotalof11monitoringwellsareproposed.Thegroundwater-monitoringplanwillrequirequarterlymonitoringforasuiteofchemical,biologicalandphysicalmetrics.Thegroundwater-monitoringnetworkresultswillbeusedtoevaluateiftheproductionareaandlandapplicationareasaremeetingthepermitrequirements.Selectedfieldswillhavelysimetersinstalledimmediatelybelowtherootzone,tomonitorthesoilwaterfornutrientcontentinthevadosezone.Feedbackfromthismonitoringwillresultinmoreprotectivefertilization/irrigationmeasures,ifneeded,beforegroundwaterisimpacted.


Page 21 of 25

RobertC.Lothrop,ColumbiaRiverInter-TribalFishCommission(2295)

Magnitudeofwasteproductionconcernsgroupfromawaterqualityandfishprotectionstandpoint.OpposesfacilityasatoddswithColumbiaRiverfisherygoals.

Theonlysurfacewateradjacenttotheproposedproductionareaisanirrigationcanalthatislocatedattheelevationthatishigherthananyoftheproductionareaandmostofthelandapplicationarea.ThePermitprohibitstheproductionareaandlandapplicationareasfromdirectlydischarginganymanure,processwastewaterorcontaminatedstormwaterintothecanaloranyothersurfacewaters.

Theagencieswillrequiretheoperatortoinstallandsamplegroundwater-monitoringwellsandnotexceedconcentrationlimitssetbytheagenciesbasedoncalculationsofdatacollectedinupanddown-gradientmonitoringwells.Atotalof11monitoringwellsareproposed.Thegroundwater-monitoringplanwillrequirequarterlymonitoringforasuiteofchemical,biologicalandphysicalmetrics.Thegroundwater-monitoringnetworkresultswillbeusedtoevaluateiftheproductionareaandlandapplicationareasaremeetingthepermitrequirements.

Alsorefertogeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2)

KateEly,ConfederatedTribesoftheUmatillaIndianReservation(2298)

1. FacilitytobelocatedinGWMAwithdocumentedhighnitratesinGW.

Refergogeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2)

2. Zerodischargestandardquestions.

OAR340-040-0001establishesgroundwaterprotectionrequirementsforpermits.ThePermitprohibitsdischargestosurfacewaters,exceptduringafloodofspecifiedmagnitudeorgreateroccurs(1in25yearprobabilityofa24hourdesignstorm),andinnormalanddesignstormconditions,anysurfacedischargeislimitedtothefollowing:ThePermitcontainsnumericEffluentLimitsforanysurfacewaterdischargethatmayoccurtothequantitationlimitsof0.1mg/Lofnitrateand2cfu/100mlforbacteria(cfu-colonyformingunits).Anydischargetogroundwatermustnottoexceedthebackgroundconcentrationlimitssetbytheagencies.RefertoresponsetocommentbyNGOCoalition(8/4/2016),commentnumber3c,page13;NGOCoalitioncommentsnumbered3band3;andgeneralresponses:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2)and(3).

3. Siteassessmentandproposedmonitoringplansarenotsatisfactory.

Thepermittingagenciesagreewiththiscomment.Theagenciesarerequiringare-submissionoftheMonitoringPlanthatincludesmonitoringtheadditionalgroundwaterwells.

4. Requestadditionalmonitoringwelllocations.

Thepermittingagenciesagreewiththiscomment.Theagenciesarerequiringanadditional7groundwater-monitoringwellstobeinstalled.Atotalof11groundwater-monitoringwellswillbesampledandthedatausedtodeterminecompliancewithgroundwaterconcentrationlimits.

5. HydrologicCharacterizationReportmustaccuratelydescribeGWunderthesite.


Page 22 of 25

Thepermittingagenciesagreewiththiscomment.Seeresponsein#4above.Thedatafromthe7additionalgroundwater-monitoringwellswillallowthesitetobeadequatelycharacterized.Theagencieswillrequireare-submissionoftheHydrologicCharacterizationReportafterthedatafromtheadditionalmonitoringwellshasbeenanalyzed.

6. Needadequatebaselineupgradientwellmonitoringresults.

Thepermittingagenciesagreewiththiscomment.Theapplicanthasdevelopedmorewellstoaddressthelandapplicationarea,andiscollectingbaselinedataandwillcontinuetodosoforthefirstsixmonthsofoperations,whilefillinglagoonsratherthanirrigatingcropswithwastewater.

7. Monitoringplanneedsadditionalwork.

Thepermittingagenciesagreewiththiscomment.Theagencieswillrequireare-submissionoftheMonitoringPlanthatincludesmonitoringtheadditionalgroundwaterwells.

8. ConcernedaboutconstructionproceedingwithoutissuanceofPermit.

ODAconductedacomplianceinspectionanddeterminedthatpartsofthefacilitywerealreadyconstructedthatrequiredtheCAFOPermitissuance.Accordingly,ODAissuedaWaterQualityAdvisory,#1626609onNovember1,2016,thatrequiredtheoperatortoceaseconstructiononanypartofthefacilitythatisusedtotreatorstoremanureorprocesswastewateruntiltheCAFOPermithasbeenissued.ODAandDEQstaffwillconductsiteinspectionsduringtheconstructionphaseforspecificwastestoragefacilities.ODAconductedafollowupinspection#1726621onJanuary24,2017anddeterminedthattheoperatorwascomplyingwiththeWQAandthatnoanimalswerepresentand,noanimalwasteorprocesswastewaterwasbeinggeneratedatthefacility.

AnimalLegalDefenseFund(2297)

1. ODAlacksauthoritytoissuepermit

DEQistheNPDESPermitauthorityinOregonandODAandDEQjointlycooperatetodevelopandissueNPDESCAFOPermitsandhavedonesosince2003.AllCAFONPDESGeneralandIndividualPermitsaresignedbybothagencies.ODAandDEQoperatetheprogramunderaMemorandumofUnderstandingthatdetailstherolesandresponsibilitiesofeachagency.

2. Pollutants


3. 3.7milliongallonslagoonleakage

DEQrequiresthatwastewaterlagoonsaredesignedtocriteriaoflessthan10-6cm/sleakageratewithacalculatedspecificdischargeamountperunitoftime.TherequireddesignoftheLVFlagoonismoreprotectivethanthisbecausetheprocesswastewaterstoragelagoonsmustbeconstructedwithadoubleliningofsyntheticmaterialandequippedwithleakdetectionsystem.Anyleakagefromthelinerwouldbecaughtinadouble-linerenvelopewhereitwouldhavenoneoftheleakagepressureoftheinnerlinerandwouldbedetectedandtheleakrepaired.TheEngineerofRecorddidcalculatealinerleakageintheeventoflinerfailurebuttheprocesswastestoragefacilitiesarenotallowedtoleakordischargetogroundwater.Theagencieswillrequirethatanyleaksberepaired.Partofthereasonforplurallagoonsisaredundancymeasuretoenablede-wateringofaleakinglagoonforrepair.Theagenciesrequirethat


Page 23 of 25

thepermitteeoperateandmaintainthelagoonsystemsothatitdoesnotleak.Ifaleakisdetected,thepermitteemustreportthattotheagenciesandrepairthelinersothatnoleakageoccurs.Theleakdetectionsystemsmustbemaintainedandrepairedasnecessarytopreventwastefromstoragefacilitiesfromenteringintogroundwater.

4. NPDESProgramlimitationsprecludeissuance,lawrequiresODAtodeny.

Thecommenterassertsthatthepermitmaynotbeissuedbecauseoftwoprohibitionsin40CFR122.4.Subsection(d)prohibitstheissuanceofanNPDESpermitwhentheimpositionofconditionscannotensurecompliancewiththeapplicablewaterqualityrequirementsofallaffectedstates.Theagenciesareassuringcompliancewith40CFR122.4byprohibitingdischargetonavigablewatersanddemonstratingcompliancewithOAR340-040viaamonitoringwellnetworkandnumericconcentrationlimits.”

DenytheLostValleyRanchwaterpollutionpermitandstopnewmega-CAFOsinOregon(3815-3913)

1. Waterquantityconcern.Proposeddairyestimatesuseof25milliongallonsofwatereveryyear.


2. Waterqualityconcern.187millionsofgallonsofmanurewillrunoffintowaterways.


Opposepollutionpermitfornewdairyfactoryfarm(3914-4031)

Pollutiontowater.


Petition#2(4032-4280)

Waterqualityconcerns.

Refertogeneralresponse:II.ResponsestoRecurringThemes(2) CommentsinSupportofPermit

TamiKerr,OregonDairyFarmersAssociation(99&2299)SupportsapplicationforCAFOPermitandCAFOProgram.Thankyouforthecomment.

DonnieJenck(2289)

SupportsLVRproject.

Thankyouforthecomment.


Page 24 of 25

JohnFazio(See#71)

ProvidedtechnicalcommentsinsupportofthePermitissuance.


EdRollins(2260)

SupportsissuanceoftheLVRpermit


BillBrewer(2271)

Supportsproposeddairy.Wonderfuluseofland.


MarkMorgan(2275)

InsupportofLVR’sCAFOPermit.


VicVanSlyke(25)

Providedresourceonreducingfreshwaterbyextractingwaterfrommanure


MaryAnneNash,OregonFarmBureau(2299)

InsupportofLVRpermit.


GeorgeChadwick(71)

ProvidedtechnicalinformationinsupportofLVRpermit.

Thankyouforthecomment.IV.SummaryofchangestotheNPDESIndividualPermitThenarrativegroundwaterpermitlimitofthedraftpermitwillbereplacedwithinterimnumericconcentrationlimit(s)andfollowedwithvaluesbasedonincreasednumberofmonitoringwellsandnumbersofsamplingevents,withfinallimitsestablishedafterninequartersofdataareavailable.Backgrounddataisgatheredfromsourcesupgradientorotherwiseunaffectedbythefacility.Alldown-gradientwellswithhavenumericlimitscalculatedbasedonbackgroundconcentrations,suchthatthereisnoincreaseinconcentrationbetweenupgradienttodowngradientwells.ThisisdescribedinPermitConditionS5.C.


Page 25 of 25

Inaddition,priortoplacingthefacilityintoserviceorcommencingland-application,thepermitholdershallamendtheAnimalWasteManagementPlanasfollows:

AddtherequirementforadditionalinformationintheAgronomicRatedefinition.Applicationratesandtimingwillbeadjustedasneededbasedoninformationfromwatersamplescollectedmonthlyjustbelowtherootzoneandfromsoilsampleresults.Removeallreferencetomanureorprocesswastewaterapplicationstofrozenorsnowcoveredsoil.Addshallowvadosezonewatermonitoringrequirements.Removeallreferencestostockpilingmanureincirclecorners.TheagenciesremovedareferencethatallowsforaConcentrationLimitVariancefromthepermitbecauseitisnotapplicabletonewfacilities.Theagenciesrequiretheadditionof,ataminimum,7wellstomonitorthelandapplicationarea.Theagenciesrequirethattheoperationofthefacilitybelimitedtoonlythenumberofanimalsthatmaybesustainedbypresentlyavailablelegalsourcesofwatersupplyandtoinformtheagenciesatpermitissuanceontheamountofthepresentlyavailablelegalsourcesofwatersupplyandthenumberofanimalsthatmaybesustained.Operationmustalsoinformagenciesifanychangetowatersourceoramountoccursduringthelifeofthepermit.V.IndexofCommenters

• OralCommentersduringtheJuly28,2016Hearing–Recordingavailableuponrequesto WayneDowningo MartyMyerso CarlaMclaneo VictoriaRudyo TomHagerudo LukeDyneso JillParker

• FormLetters–

o DenyMegaDairy(39)o DenytheLostValleyRanchwaterpollutionpermitandstopnewmega-CAFOsinOregon(99)o Say“No”toFactoryFarmsinOregon(222)o Opposepollutionpermitfornewdairyfactoryfarm(118)o RejectPermitforLostValleyRanchDairyCAFO(1515)o Petition#1(1868)o Petitionwithcomments(7)supplementaldocumenttotheabovepetitionthatprovidedindividualcomments

o Petition#2(249)

• IndividualComments(156)–SeeAttachment#1

Documents

Valley Farm, Greg teVelde Response to Public Comments€¦ · Oregon Humane Society has Humane Special Agents who are certified police officers commissioned by the Oregon State Police