RSSMabton dairy may add more cows
Land-use officials recommend granting permission to expand operation despite neighbor protestsYakima Herald-Republic
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- If milk prices improve, a dairy in Mabton is prepared to expand its operation over the opposition of neighbors, who say they are already suffering from flies, odor and other dairy-related environmental irritants.
At a hearing Thursday, Yakima County land-use officials recommended allowing Jacob Veldhuis to build onto his existing 800-cow dairy on State Route 22, about two miles from Mabton. A hearing examiner is expected to make a decision in the next several weeks.
Veldhuis hopes to build a 13,000 square-foot milk barn, a new lagoon to store manure, seven cow shades totaling 50,000 square feet and a 4,800-square-foot commodity shed.
The plans submitted to the county indicate the new facilities could handle more than 2,400 cows, but Veldhuis said he doesn't know yet exactly how many he would add.
"The way prices are, it may be a few years before we get started," he said.
Milk prices have fallen as much as 50 percent from historic highs of last summer due to a worldwide oversupply of milk.
The existing Veldhuis dairy is located near the Mensonides dairy on Fisher Road in Mabton. Both are concentrated animal feeding operations, or "CAFOs," which are regulated by the state departments of Ecology and Agriculture.
Pat Schlegel, who lives downwind of both dairies, said the county is too lax when it comes to holding dairies to their plans to offset the impact of large numbers of animals in a confined area.
"I am anything but an eco nut job, but you get to the point where you just can't take it anymore," Schlegel said, referring to flies, dust and the smell of manure.
She and her husband, Ben, have lived in the area for more than 30 years. Schlegel said the Mensonides dairy recently improved its control of flies.
"We were able to have a barbecue outside this summer," she said. "So I commend them for that."
Veldhuis said in his application for a permit that the dairy would follow environmental standards to protect groundwater and air quality, as well as minimize dust and odor, by flushing out manure and storing it in leak-proof lagoons.
* Leah Beth Ward can be reached at 577-7626 or lward@yakimaherald.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The headlines on this story have been changed to correct an inaccuracy.
These corrupt officials have once again ruled against the health of the people and in favor of millionaire dairy families. All of these facilities need to be relocated at least 5 miles from any residence.
How can these dairies keep ignoring the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Clean Drinking Water Act year after year????? Our corrupt state and county officials will some day be held accountable for their blatant and mercenary disregard of the law.
If you want to personally test for yourself just how bad the "new" mass produced dairy products really are, just stop all dairy for one month and get ready to step into a new level of health and well being. Try this website while you're at it.
www.notmilk.com
What!!!!! and have no cream for my coffee?
Report ViolationI have to agree with countryvet on the health benefits of eliminating dairy. I feel considerably better when I'm not consuming dairy. Humans are just not meant to digest milk as adults and to try and force our bodies to accept it, just opens us up for more health problems. I'm not an over zealous vegetarian or vegan, mind you, but I can tell you that everyone in my family physically feels better when there's no dairy in the house. We normally drink soy or rice milk, which tastes fine, in my opinion. It doesn't taste like cow's milk, and it would be silly to expect that it would, but it does taste good.
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