Washington Ecology shakes up dairy regulation

The Washington Department of Ecology’s rules could keep dairies out of court, but the costs for farmers are uncertain. New rules issued by the Washington Department of Ecology on Wednesday will change the regulatory landscape for the state’s 230 dairies with more than 200 cows. Embracing the rules may shield dairies from government fines or lawsuits by environmental groups, but will mean taking on new obligations with uncertain costs. The rules, codified in a revised permit for concentrated animal feeding operations, were years in the making and are meant to keep nitrates out of groundwater and fecal coliform out of surface water. They are in addition to the state’s 19-year-old Dairy Nutrient Management Act, which has the identical goal. While all dairies must follow the nutrient act, only a few have had CAFO permits. Environmental groups hoped a revised permit would be a vehicle to force dairies to line manure lagoons with synthetic material and install wells to monitor groundwater, steps the department was unwilling to take.