CAFO Permit Issued for Lost Valley Farm

Lost Valley Farm, a dairy operation in Umatilla County, has been given their CAFO permit for up to 30,000 animals.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Quality issued the permit noting that the farm will be subject to “stringent water quality regulations.”

In the announcement, ODA noted that Lost Valley is expected to bring 150 jobs to the area and spend $50 million each year, much of it in the local community.

The Lower Umatilla Groundwater Management Area does suffer from elevated levels of nitrate, but ODA and DEQ have written the permit to protect surface and groundwater.

The permit was issued after an extensive public comment period that saw more than 4,000 comments accepted.

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