Document J3mYqM4d2DrDmGGrm414qpeva

USA Feedyard Inspection Date 03/06/2025 Region 6 - Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Division INSPECTION REPORT Inspection Date(s): Media Program: Regulatory Program(s) 03/06/2025 Water CWA, NPDES, CAFO Company Name: Facility Name: Facility Physical Location: (city, state, zip code) Mailing address: (city, state, zip code) County/Parish: Facility Phone Number Facility Contact: USA Feedyard LP USA Feedyard 8370 County Rd W (36.180, -101.576) Gruver, TX 79040 8370 County Rd W Gruver, TX 79040 Hansford (806) 733-5043 Jeff Purvines Manager jeff@usafeedyard.net Facility Registry ID: Identification/Permit Number: Media Identifier Number: NAICS: SIC: N/A TXG920544 N/A 112112 0211 Personnel participating in inspection: Lucas Bomar EPA/6ECAD-WA Jeff Purvines USA Feedyard Johnny Moffett USA Feedyard Inspector(lead) Manager Yard Manager EPA Lead Inspector Signature/Date LUCAS BOMAR Date: 2025.04.23 13:07:10 -05'00' Digitally signed by LUCAS BOMAR Lucas Bomar Date Supervisor Signature/Date Digitally signed by ANTHONY ANTHONY LOSTON LOSTON Date: 2025.04.28 12:49:06 -05'00' Anthony Loston Date 6ENFORM-019-R8.2 (02/12/2020) 1 USA Feedyard Inspection Date 03/06/2025 Section I - INTRODUCTION PURPOSE OF THE INSPECTION EPA Region 6 inspector Lucas Bomar arrived at USA Feedyard the "Site" or "Facility" located at 8370 County Rd W Gruver, TX 79040 at 9:30AM, on March 06, 2025, for an unannounced inspection. Inspector met with Mr. Jeff Purvines (Manager) and Mr. Johnny Moffett (Yard Manager) at the Opening Conference. Inspector presented their credentials to both men and informed them that this was an EPA inspection to determine the facility's compliance status with the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) regulations as authorized by Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 308. The scope of the inspection included a compliance evaluation of the facility's site operations and record keeping required in their TCEQ CAFO general permit. The government vehicle was parked in the parking lot outside the facility office and the inspection was performed in a company vehicle. Inspector wore boot covers. Inspector was accompanied by the yard manager. FACILITY DESCRIPTION The yard manager reported that they had around 69,000 head of beef cattle in confinement at the time of the inspection. The facility is permitted for 100,000 head of beef cattle. Animals are housed in open lot pens and on-site for an average of 180 days. Pens are cleaned via scraping using a front loader which is done as needed. Lot scrapings are then stockpiled before being hauled off site by 3rd party farmers. The facility utilizes five retention control structures (RCS): RCS 1E, RCS 1W, RCS 2E, RCS 2W, & RCS 3. The RCSs are lined with compacted clay soils, and each has a lack of hydrologic connection certification. RCS 1E has a certified volume capacity of 73.26 ac-ft (acre-feet) and a required capacity of 72.7 ac-ft. RCS 1W has a certified volume capacity of 35 acft and a required volume capacity of 21.95 ac-ft. RCS 2E has a certified volume capacity of 80.47 ac-ft and a required volume capacity of 61.18. RCS 2W has a certified volume capacity of 1.8 ac-ft and a required volume capacity of 1.45 acft. and RCS 3 has a certified volume capacity of 32.11 ac-ft and a required volume capacity of 21.12 ac-ft. Wastewater is routed from pens to RCSs via drainage channels and gravity flow. The facility also has four potential land management units (LMU) for land application: LMU 1, LMU 2E, LMU 2W, & LMU 3. LMU 1 is 375 acs (acres), LMU 2E is 250 acs, LMU 2W is 250 acs, and LMU 3 is 130 acs. The nutrient management plan specifies that the total number of potential land application acres for the four LMUs is 1,005 acs. Currently, the land application of wastewater is only applied to LMUs 1, 2E, and 2W. A center pivot irrigation system is used for wastewater land application for each land management units in a circular pattern around a central pivot point. The mechanical system involves a long pipeline that rotates around this central point, applying wastewater evenly over a large land area. Finally, the deaths of animals within Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (mortalities) are hauled off by county services as needed. Commodities are stored in covered silage bunkers and grain silos. Section II - OBSERVATIONS USA Feedyard has the requirements to meet the large CAFO regulatory definition. The open lot pens were clean and without any visible manure piles or ponding inside the pens. All manure stockpiles on-site were within the drainage of an RCS (Appendix 1, Photo 5). All the berms on-site were in good condition. Drainage channels were properly routing runoff to the RCSs during the inspection without any signs of problems (Appendix 1, Photos 1, 3, 4, & 5). All records required by the permit were present upon request. The certified Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) was prepared by Enviro Ag Engineering and up to date. A calculation of the agronomic rate was done using the facilities land 2 USA Feedyard Inspection Date 03/06/2025 application data sheets (LADS) and determined that the facility was properly applying wastewater to their LMU 1, LMU 2E, and LMU 2W for the 2023 and 2024 reporting years. A check of the lagoon designs and as-builts showed adequate storage for the production area and 25-year/24-hour rain event. The lagoons and settling basins are all clay lined and certified. Infiltration tests were all shown to be above the minimum requirement of hydraulic conductivities no greater than 110-7 centimeters per second. The most recent 5year evaluation of the RCSs was conducted on 06/16/2023 by Gary Chapman of Enviro Ag Engineering. A visual check of the lagoons was conducted and there was adequate freeboard, pole markers, lack of erosion, no solids overloading, and no evidence of unauthorized discharge. Section III - AREAS OF CONCERN There were no areas of concern at the time of the inspection. EPA Region 6 inspector conducted a closing conference for the USA Feedyard inspection at approximately 10:46AM on March 06, 2025. During the closing conference, the inspector reviewed findings with the Mr. Moffett and Mr. Purvines. Section IV - FOLLOW UP Due to time constraints at the time of the inspection for the facility, inspector reached out to the consultant, Landy Cliffton of Enviro Ag Engineering, for all required records of the TCEQ general permit. Records were emailed to EPA R6 on 03/06/2025. Section V - LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1 - Inspection Photo Log - Utilized five (5) photos of the facility taken 03/06/2025 3 USA Feedyard LLC / USA Feedyard Inspection Date 03/06/2025 Appendix 1 Photograph Log UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Photograph Log Photo No. 1 Location: 8370 County Rd W (36.180, -101.576) USA Feedyard City: Gruver County/Parish: Hansford State: Texas Photo File Name: R0010997.JPG Date of Photo: 03/06/2025 Time of Photo: 9:49AM Photographer: Lucas Bomar Description: View to the north. Drainage channel on eastern perimeter of the facility. Leads to RCS 1. UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Photograph Log Photo No. 2 Location: 8370 County Rd W (36.180, -101.576) USA Feedyard City: Gruver County/Parish: Hansford State: Texas Photo File Name: R0010998.JPG Date of Photo: 03/06/2025 Time of Photo: 9:49AM Photographer: Lucas Bomar Description: View to the south. Outfall of drainage channel on eastern perimeter of facility. View of RCS 1. UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Photograph Log Photo No. 3 Location: 8370 County Rd W (36.180, -101.576) USA Feedyard City: Gruver County/Parish: Hansford State: Texas Photo File Name: R0010999.JPG Date of Photo: 03/06/2025 Time of Photo: 9:53AM Photographer: Lucas Bomar Description: View to the east. Drainage channel that leads to RCS 1. UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Photograph Log Photo No. 4 Location: 8370 County Rd W (36.180, -101.576) USA Feedyard City: Gruver County/Parish: Hansford State: Texas Photo File Name: R0011000.JPG Date of Photo: 03/06/2025 Time of Photo: 9:53AM Photographer: Lucas Bomar Description: View to the west. Drainage channel that leads to RCS 1. UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Photograph Log Photo No. 5 Location: 8370 County Rd W (36.180, -101.576) USA Feedyard City: Gruver County/Parish: Hansford State: Texas Photo File Name: R0011001.JPG Date of Photo: 03/06/2025 Time of Photo: 9:59AM Photographer: Lucas Bomar Description: View to the southeast. Manure stockpile within drainage of channel that leads to RCS.