Still no agreement in Ritchey dairy case, negotiations continue

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

Oct. 6, 2005 - Dairies, and other large animal operation, can find themselves in the environmental hot seat when they don’t meet regulations.  In recent years, the Alan Ritchey dairy, outside of Yuba, Okla., also faced numerous pollutant discharge violations, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

As noted in previous Country World stories, Alan Ritchey of the Texas-based Alan Ritchey, Inc. was notified by the EPA’s office in Dallas that the dairy was in violation of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations in June 2003, and the federal agency filed an administrative order asking for compliance of the Clean Water Act. Ritchey was ordered to “immediately take all necessary measures to prevent any discharge of pollutants to waters of the U.S. from any part of the facility,” as well as initiate a weekly visual inspection program and submit specific information concerning discharges within the last five years.

While dealing with the federal, and state, environmental situations, several meetings and hearings have occurred between Ritchey and the agencies. At this summer’s meeting, which posed a deadline for resolution and threatened a per-day fine, a postponement was granted.

In a Sept. 24 phone interview, EPA spokesman Dave Bary said, “We are still in negotiations (with the Alan Ritchey dairy) and trying to resolve the complaint. We don’t have an agreement.”

The dairy, located north of the Red River, where Fannin County, Texas and Bryan County, Okla., meet at the river, has since closed its milking parlors.