Document 3QwjZ9LKzO9bKK1QDkZ8ZqLky

UNITED STATESUNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY . *REGION 1 ENVIRONMENTA AGENCY5 POST OFFICEB OSSTQONU,A RMAE ,0 21S0U9-I3T9E12 100 PROTECTION Date:Dated as shown on electronic signature(s) Subj:Inspection Report Clean Water Act - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (" NPDES ") Veldman Farm From:Andrew Spejewski, Inspector ANDREWDigitally signed by ANDREW SPEJEWSKI SPEJEWSKIDate: 2024.07.26 15:47:28 -04'00 ' Thru:Eleanor Horvath, Clean Water Act Inspector To: File I. Facility Information A. Facility Name:Veldman Farm B. Facility Location:6144 VT Route 22A Addison, VT 05491 C. Facility Contacts:Ben Veldman 802-759-2413 D. NPDES ID No (s).: None II. Background Information A. Date(s) of inspection: May 21, 2024 B. Weather Conditions: Clear, dry C. US EPA Representative(s): Andrew Spejewski Nafisah Ali Anna Hatke D. State / Local Representative(s): Abi Pajak, VT Department of Environmental Conservation Steve Cash, VT Agency of Agriculture Farms and Markets ED_019088A_00004939-00001 E. Federally Enforceable Requirements Covered During the Inspection: Federal regulations for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOS) F. Previous Enforcement Actions: No federal actions known. III. Type and Purpose of Inspection Evaluation of compliance with EPA CAFO regulations. The inspection team also included capability to collect water samples. IV. Facility Description Veldman Farm is a dairy farm, including a main location in Addison and a satellite location at 195 Basin Harbor Rd., Bridport, VT (known as the Resendy farm). There are about 590 mature and young cows at the two locations combined. The main facility lies west of Rt 22. It includes two large barns, one central and one to the southwest, each with an adjacent manure pit, and one smaller barn to the north; a single feed bunker is adjacent to the smaller barn. There is a slope down to the west just west of the feed bunker and manure pits, to a fairly flat set of fields. The Resendy farm is east of Basin Harbor Road. The Veldman operation leases one barn, an adjacent manure pit to the east, and a feed bunker to the north and some fields; there is another barn on the Resendy site and other fields which are not leased and not part of the Veldman operation. V. Inspection Mr. Spejewski announced the inspection to the Facility on 15 May 2024, notifying them of the inspection and requesting a copy of the farm's nutrient management plan. A return call agreed to the inspection. On 20 May 2024, Mr. Veldman spoke to Mr. Spejewski via phone and subsequently, the farm's planning consultant (Donner Carr, of Bourdeau Brothers, Inc.) contacted Mr. Spejewski and emailed Mr. Spejewski a copy of the NMP for the farm. The day of the inspection, the inspection team arrived about 9:00 AM. After a brief delay Ben Veldman was available to start the inspection. Also present was Mr. Carr. A. Opening Conference Mr. Spejewski presented his credentials, and explained the purpose of the inspection. Mr. Spejewski noted that the inspection would include the satellite location at the Resendy farm and asked Mr. Veldman to inform the property owner as a courtesy. Mr. Veldman confirmed that the number of animals and other farm information had not changed significantly since the NMP had been completed. Mr. Spejewski asked about 2 Commented [HE1]: Just for consistency, either capitalize or don't ED_019088A_00004939-00002 manure application records; Mr. Veldman said that he kept them in his head. Mr. Carr said that Mr. Veldman provided field application rates to him. Mr. Carr confirmed that the NMP included actual application rates for fall applications (in calendar year 2023), and planned application rates for spring / summer applications (in calendar year 2024). B. Facility Tour The group toured the main farm production area. The manure pit west of the central barn appeared to be nearly solid on top, with extensive weed growth. The top of the solids appeared to be close to the top of the pit containment, though due to the amount of solids and growth it was difficult to estimate exact distance. The southern manure pit was less overgrown, and appeared to be at least a foot below the containing berm. The southern pit was contained on the west side by an earth berm that sloped down to the field to the west; the slope was well grassed, with no signs of overflow and no trees. Near the western foot of the southern pit was a mortality pile. The pile had no containment and appeared to drain to a low area to the west. The low area appeared to drain to the west down a drainage between two fields, but no water was flowing at the time of the inspection. The feed bunker to the north was a single concrete pad, immediately west of a small barn and other structures. The bunker appeared to drain via sheet flow off the west side of the pad, and then along a drainage running alongside the pad to a low spot near the southwest corner of the pad. There was a pool of water immediately west of the concrete in the low spot. There was a slight depression leading west from the pool, that apparently drained the pool and feed bunker, but no water was flowing at the time of the inspection. Mr. Spejewski explained to Mr. Veldman that the inspection team wished to take water samples from drainage for the fields immediately west of the farm (if there was any flow), but in order to minimize Mr. Veldman's time spent on the inspection, the team could go to the remote facility with Mr. Veldman to tour it, then return and walk the field unaccompanied, freeing Mr. Veldman. Mr. Veldman agreed. The group then left and drove to the satellite location at Resendy. Mr. Veldman explained that they only lease the barn, the manure pit and the feed bunker. He noted that cows outside in an adjacent field were beef cattle owned by the property owner, not the Veldman operation. Mr. Veldman stated no milking cows were at this property. He explained the barn manure is pushed directly into the adjacent manure pit. The manure pit was slightly overgrown, with at least a foot of freeboard at the lowest spot. The feed bunker was one concrete pad, that drained to a small concrete structure on the west side; the structure discharged through a pipe directly to the west, into a drainage that ran to the northwest off of the site. The group returned to the main facility. Mr. Veldman gave permission for the team to walk the field and take samples unaccompanied, but requested duplicate samples be provided to him. Mr. Spejewski agreed. 3 ED_019088A_00004939-00003 Two fields were immediately west of the main farm production area. Drainage from the feed bunker area appeared to flow west then south to a low spot between the two fields, which also appeared to drain the mortality pile. A drainage led west from the low spot to the end of the fields, about 800 yards to the west. The drainage appeared muddy in spots with wet vegetation, but no running water was observed. At the west end of the field, it joined with a drainage coming from the north side of the fields. Again the drainage was damp but no running surface water was present. The group returned to the main farm and took a water sample from the pool adjacent to the feed bunker. A duplicate water sample was taken, and Mr. Spejewski provided it to Mr. Veldman. Mr. Spejewski noted that the duplicate sample did not have preservative added, and it was Mr. Veldman's responsibility to ensure any analysis done on it was valid. Mr. Spejewski noted that the lack of freeboard in the central manure pit was a concern, and that overflows would be the operator's liability. Mr. Spejewski then thanked Mr. Veldman for his time and the group left the site. C. Records Review No records were reviewed on - site during the inspection. D. Sampling Results: The single sample was analyzed with the following results Total Nitrogen: 1100 ug / L Total Phosphorous: 3000 ug / 1 Total Suspended Solids: 45 mg / 1 Cotinine, Acetaminophen, Paraxanthine, Atenolol, Caffeine, Metoprolol, Diphenhydramine, Carbamazepine: all Non - Detect Picture List: (each picture was saved as a.JPG and as a.MOV file) Main Farm: IMG_0005Facing NW to feed bunker IMG_0006Facing south along east side of center barn IMG_0007Manure pit west of center barn IMG_0008Manure pit at center barn IMG_0009 Facing south into center barn (poor photo; operator error) IMG 0010Facing south into center barn IMG_0011Manure pit west of southern barn IMG_0012Manure pit at southern barn IMG_0013 Facing west over mortality pile west of southern barn IMG_0014Western wall of southern manure pit IMG 0015wall of southern manure pit IMG_0016Facing west along drainage between fields west of barns 4 ED_019088A_00004939-00004 IMG_0017 Drainage between fields, west of barns and mortality IMG_0018 Facing east over drainage to mortality pile and southern manure pit IMG 0019 Facing east to feed bunker IMG_0020 facing west, drainage from feed bunker IMG_0021 Facing north along west edge of feed bunker IMG_0022 Facing south along west edge of feed bunker IMG 0023 Center of feed bunker IMG 0024 Facing east over east side of feed bunker Resendes Farm: IMG 0025 Resendes farm, facing south along east side of barn IMG 0026 Resendes farm, east side of barn IMG 0027 Resendes farm: facing south to manure pit and barn IMG 0028 Resendes farm: facing southeast over manure pit IMG 0029 Resendes farm: facing north over feed bunker IMG_0030 Resendes farm: feed bunker IMG 0031 Resendes farm: drainage inlet at feed bunker Main Farm: IMG_0032 Facing east to production area, from west edge of field west of production area * Unless otherwise noted, this report describes conditions at the facility / property as observed by EPA inspector(s), and / or through records provided to and / or information reported to EPA inspector(s) by facility representatives and as understood by the inspector(s). This report may not capture all operations or activities ongoing at the time of the inspection. This report does not make final determinations on potential areas of concern. Nothing in this report affects EPA's authorities under federal statutes and regulations to pursue further investigation or action. Commented [HE2]: Resendy or Resendes??? 5 10 ED_019088A_00004939-00005