We request you to deny permit to build the massive mega-dairy CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) planned in Eastern Oregon, by the proprietor of Lost Valley Ranch, set to house about 30,000 cattle. The planned operation is situated close to Threemile Canyon Farms, another mega-dairy housing 70,000 cattle and one of the largest in the country, as well as within four miles to another dairy farm and a beef CAFO.

The water requirements for the planned CAFO - 325 million gallons a year - is vastly more than that of the proposed Nestle bottling water project in Hood River County earlier this year. You may recall that the Nestle project was scrapped after the public got to know about it, with ballot measure 14-55 that was passed with a 68% vote. This mega-dairy project, with its higher water requirements and higher polluting capacity would encounter similar opposition if the public had full knowledge of it.

In addition to taking up the region's precious water, this would also discharge a manure of 187 million gallons per year, threatening the groundwater system in the area. Designated a Critical Groundwater Area, already strained from the existing CAFOs, this poses a grave threat to the community. The nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in many area groundwater samples in the Lower Umatilla Basin groundwater exceed the federal safe drinking water standard.

Similarly, with the elevated concentrations of ammonia in the area due to the existing CAFOs, this operation would only further worsen the situation, with DEQ's failures in monitoring the air quality impacts.

As the damages caused by large factory farms to community, the environment, animals, and labor are becoming more apparent with increasing public awareness, it would be regressive to continue on this unsustainable path 

Due to all the harms outlined above, we request you to deny issuing the permit to build this mega-dairy CAFO, to help preserve Oregon's resources for future generations.