Coalition calls to block Easterday mega-dairy permit south of Tri-Cities

A coalition pushing the Oregon Legislature to enact a mega-dairy moratorium is now calling for the state to deny Easterday Farms Dairy’s permit for a property 60 miles south of the Tri-Cities.

Stand Up to Factory Farms says the coalition’s request is appropriate and necessary in light of a recent lawsuit and bankruptcy filings by Easterday Farms and Easterday Ranches.

The two family-owned businesses are based in Pasco, while Easterday Farms Dairy is a business registered in Oregon.

Easterday bought the embattled Lost Valley Farm in April 2019 after troubled owner Greg te Velde was forced to shut down the dairy and sell the cattle in his own bankruptcy case. The reported $66.7 million purchase price covered the property but not the cows.

Easterday has applied for a Confined Animal Feeding Operation permit for a large-scale, commercial dairy with 28,300 cattle in Boardman.

The Easterday conglomerate is one of the largest agricultural operations in Washington state.

The Ranches side of the business was sued in January by Tyson Foods for allegedly bilking the meat processor out of more than $225 million in a scheme that involved charging for the purchase and feeding of 200,000 cattle that never existed.

It is alleged that then-company president and CEO Cody Easterday came up with the plan to offset the money he lost in the commodities trading markets.

Then, earlier this month, both Easterday Ranches and Easterday Farms separately filed in federal court for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Stand Up to Factory Farms says with the Easterdays embroiled in a lawsuit in Franklin County Superior Court — and “with an estimated $15 million required to bring the former Lost Valley site into environmental compliance” — the two Oregon state agencies have the authority to question the company’s ability to meet the permit’s financial requirements.

The coalition includes community, environmental, farm and social justice organizations at the local, state and national level.

After Easterday Ranches was sued last month in Franklin County, Stand Up to Factory Farms issued a release saying the allegations show te Velde isn’t the only “bad actor” in the mega-dairy business.

State permit application

Stand Up to Factory Farms announced Wednesday that it sent a letter urging the Oregon state Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Quality to use their authority to deny the application.

“We know from experience that ODA and DEQ are likely to claim they don’t have the authority to deny Easterday’s permit,” Tarah Heinzen, the senior staff attorney for Food & Water Watch, said in a news release.

“Recent events underscore that this is just not true. They can deny a permit to any applicant who hasn’t disclosed all relevant facts or who has misrepresented any facts in their application,” she continued. “Easterday Ranches and Easterday Farms’ significant financial distress surely qualifies.”

Once the state is done looking over the dairy application, the draft permit and any supporting materials will be released for public review. Then, after considering any further comments, the state agencies will make a final decision on the permit.

Lost Valley Farm

Lost Valley Farm was the state’s second-largest dairy when it opened in 2017.

It had a contract to supply milk to the Tillamook County Creamery Association, but the association ended that deal one year later because of te Velde’s ongoing troubles with state regulators.

Te Velde racked up more than 200 violations of its permit and thousands in fines in less than two years. The problems included allowing manure to overflow storage lagoons, contaminating the local aquifer, and the mismanagement of animal waste and dead animals.

“Mega-dairies generate stunning amounts of air and water pollution,” said Lauren Goldberg, Columbia Riverkeeper legal and program director, in the news release.

“Governor (Kate) Brown and state regulators need to tackle mega-dairies like the corporate polluters they are,” said Goldberg. “That starts with two actions: deny the Easterday permit-to-pollute and pass a moratorium on new mega-dairies until laws are in place to protect people’s health and clean water.”

Emma Newton, the Oregon organizer with Food & Water Watch and Stand Up To Factory Farms, added that “Cattlegate” underscores the need for the moratorium.

“We’re dealing with an industry where egregious violations and irresponsible management are much more common than Oregon officials have claimed,” said Newton. “We must stop new mega-dairy permits now to protect our natural resources and frontline communities.”

Stand Up to Factory Farms has been working to get legislation or an executive order that temporarily prohibits the creation of new mega-dairies and the expansion of existing operations.

The coalition wants policies instituted to “meaningfully protect our air, water and climate, and ensure the humane treatment of animals and the economic vitality of family farmers.”

It is behind two mega-dairy moratorium bills before the state Legislature this year: House Bill 2924, which is assigned to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee; and Senate Bill 583, assigned to the Senate Energy and Environment Committee.