Time-out for new mega-diaries in Oregon

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Oregon Needs a Time-Out on New Mega-Dairies

Urge Your State Legislators to put a 'time-out' on new mega-dairies in Oregon

Cows at the Lost Valley mega-dairy standing in overflowing manure. The facility, approved for 30,000 cows in 2017, racked up hundreds of environmental violations before it was finally shut down this month. (photo: Oregon Department of Agriculture)

The controversial 30,000-cow Lost Valley mega-dairy near Boardman, Oregon was approved in 2017. Almost immediately, it began breaking the law and putting groundwater at risk through manure spills, equipment failures, and bad management. The owner declared bankruptcy last year, stiffing local contractors, forcing the state to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to hold him accountable, and leaving behind over 30 million gallons of liquid manure for others to clean up. The land and cows were finally sold this month. Despite all these problems, no new laws have been passed to ensure another 'Lost Valley' doesn't happen again. In fact, a new mega-dairy could be proposed for the Lost Valley site in the coming months.

The problems at Lost Valley were never just the responsibility of one bad actor. State agencies ignored numerous warning signs about Lost Valley and granted the owner a permit to operate anyway. Problems included:

Lost Valley was located in an area with contaminated drinking water and declining groundwater supplies.
A 2008 program to require mega-dairies to reduce their air pollution is still not in effect. Mega-dairies are huge sources of haze-causing ammonia and methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
A growing number of mega-dairies are flooding the market with milk, driving down prices to historically low levels that are putting family farms out of business in Oregon and across the country.

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Lost Valley is just one of a growing number of Oregon mega-dairies that not only pollute our air and water, but are making it much harder for family-scale dairy farms to stay in business.

The time for action is now. The Oregon Legislature must put a 'time-out' on permitting new mega-dairies this Legislative Session. Reforms to protect family farms, water supplies, clean air and the climate must be enacted. An operation of the scale and impact of Lost Valley was a terrible idea from the start and it never should have received a permit from the State of Oregon. Let's make sure it can't happen again. Please contact your State Legislators today.

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We Need a Time-Out on New Mega-Dairies in Oregon

Oregon State Senators and Reps.

Subject: Support a 'Time-out' on new mega-dairies in Oregon

Message:

The Oregon Legislature needs to enact a 'time-out' on new mega-dairies in Oregon.

In 2017, the controversial 30,000-cow Lost Valley mega-dairy near Boardman, Oregon was approved. Almost immediately, it began breaking the law and putting groundwater at risk through manure spills, equipment failures, and bad management. The owner declared bankruptcy last year, stiffing local contractors, forcing the state to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to hold him accountable, and leaving behind millions of gallons of liquid manure for others to clean up.

Despite all these problems, no new laws have been passed to ensure another 'Lost Valley' doesn't happen again. In fact, a new mega-dairy could be proposed at the Lost Valley site in the coming months.

The problems at Lost Valley were never just the responsibility of one bad actor. State agencies ignored numerous warning signs about Lost Valley and granted the owner a permit to operate anyway. Problems included:

- Lost Valley was located in an area with contaminated drinking water and declining groundwater supplies.
- A 2008 program to require mega-dairies to reduce their air pollution is still not in effect. Mega-dairies are huge sources of haze-causing ammonia and methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
- A growing number of mega-dairies are flooding the market with milk, driving down prices to historically low levels that are putting family farms out of business in Oregon and across the country.

Lost Valley is just one of a growing number of Oregon mega-dairies that not only pollute our air and water, but are making it much harder for family-scale dairy farms to stay in business.

The time for action is now. The Oregon Legislature must put a 'time-out' on permitting new mega-dairies this Legislative Session, and reforms to protect family farms, water supplies, clean air and the climate must be enacted.

Remaining:

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Urge Your State Legislators to put a 'time-out' on new mega-dairies in Oregon

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