State regulators have signed off on an Addison County farm鈥檚 bid to expand its operations, despite neighbors鈥� concerns about water quality and the Vermont Supreme Court鈥檚 May finding that the farm failed to follow court orders to reduce pollution running onto a neighbor鈥檚 land.
The Vorsteveld Farm in Panton is owned by brothers Rudy, Hans and Gerard. Right now, the farm consists of some 1,500 mature dairy cows, as well as 1,500 heifers. They crop almost 3,000 acres of land, and the herd produces almost 20 million gallons of liquid manure and other waste every year.
In May, the Vermont Supreme Court holding the farm in contempt of court for failing to stop farm runoff from draining onto a neighbor's land.
The farmers applied to expand their operation earlier this year by adding almost 600 cows and updating some barns 鈥� a move the farm says would allow it to produce more than 26,000 gallons of milk annually.
According to the permit, this would increase their manure production by about 7 million gallons each year.
Because of the Vorsteveld Farm鈥檚 size, they can鈥檛 expand without approval from the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.
As part of that process, the Agency of Natural Resources has the opportunity to require additional water quality regulations through a separate federal permit.
In a final decision issued in mid-June, the agriculture agency determined that, according to their nutrient management plan, the Vorstevelds have the land and the wastewater and manure storage to accommodate the extra cows.
Additionally, ANR reviewed the agriculture agency鈥檚 recommendation and determined the farm鈥檚 application doesn鈥檛 warrant a federal permit.
At a hearing in April, roughly 60 people gathered to weigh in on the application in Panton. Many raised concerns about water quality and past environmental violations. Others expressed concern about how the farm鈥檚 operations already impact local drinking water.
A few expressed their support for the Vorstevelds as local farmers, and commended their practices.
The litigation the Vorstevelds have faced has spurred calls in the Legislature to bolster Right to Farm legislation in Vermont. At the same time, federal regulators have called Vermont鈥檚 efforts to regulate water quality on farms inadequate.
This fall, the Environmental Protection Agency stepped in to require the state bolster its regulatory oversight of clean water on farms. ANR is preparing to overhaul the program that issues the permit the agency waived for the Vorsteveld Farm through a multi-year process that is currently in its infancy.
开云体育 called the farm Monday and Tuesday and had not received a response as of mid-day Tuesday. Attorneys for the Vorstevelds shared a comment expressing their legal view that simply adding cows did not require a federal permit.
