Cooling pond use in Texas 'back on'

By KRISTY HEMMINGSEN | East Texas Edition

April 11, 2002 -- Texas dairy producers have now been given word that they can continue to use their cooling ponds.

When dairy producers came together for a meeting Feb. 22 at the Texas A&M University Research and Extension Center in Dallas, their intentions were to develop a description of a satisfactory cooling pond that they "could live with," and hoped this step would lead toward them being allowed to operate their cooling ponds once again.

Ellen Jordan, Extension dairy specialist, then submitted the proposed guidelines to the Texas Department of Health (TDH) and also requested a response by April 1.

On April 1, Country World contacted TDH's Gene Wright. His response was that a decision had not been determined as of yet, but speculated that one would be made soon.

Country World's April 4 edition went to press April 1 with Wright's statement.

On April 3, TDH released a press statement, written March 27, stating that the proposed guidelines had been accepted and adopted by TDH, and if all the required criteria could be followed, dairy producers could now utilize their ponds.

The following summarizes cooling pond requirements by TDH:

The Milk and Dairy Products Division will allow cooling ponds that meet these criteria to be constructed on Texas Producer Dairies. Inspectors should observe the state of cleanliness of the milking herd to determine compliance with criteria five (5) and six (6). Because there are many variables that can affect the cleanliness of the water in a cooling pond, some operations may require more frequent cleaning or addition of water on a continual basis. Cooling ponds that do not meet the criteria above, or that become unacceptable pools of mud and animal waste, should be debited under the item 4-R of the Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance as described in the first Milk Information Release.

Jordan said this is the current situation, but said the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will continue to review the criteria and could require some changes that would then be presented at the 2003 Interstate Milk Shippers Conference.

In late 2001, Texas dairy producers were ordered to immediately cease using cooling ponds because of a poor inspection on one farm. Cooling ponds are used on dairies for the cattle wade into, and stand in, to keep cool; thus keeping milk production from decreasing.

"We're back on now," Jordan said on April 5.