Document QXoXGmnL1E6y70dGXzbxNBXdv

EPA Inspection Report - Page 1 of 8 Kempenaar Real Estate, Ltd/Still Meadow Dairy Inspection Date 03/29/2022 Region 6 - Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Division INSPECTION REPORT Inspection Date(s): Media Program: Regulatory Program(s) 03/29/2022 Water 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: Kempenaar Real Estate, LTD Still Meadow Dairy 3362 County Road 2346 Como, Texas 75431 same same Hopkins Jack Kempenaar Owner Kempenaar3@hotmail.com, manureisgood@yahoo.com FRS Number: Identification/Permit Number: Media Identifier Number: NAICS: SIC: 110020147241 TXG920117 N/A 112120 0241 Personnel participating in inspection: Noel Courts Lowther Consulting Lucas Bomar EPA/6ECAD-WA Juan Ibarra EPA/6ECAD-WA Consultant Inspector Inspector EPA Lead Inspector Signature/Date Supervisor Signature/Date 6ENFORM-019-R8.2 (02/12/2020) JUAN Digitally signed by JUAN IBARRA IBARRA DN: c=US, o=U.S. Government, ou=Environmental Protection Agency, cn=JUAN IBARRA, 0.9.2342.19200300.100.1.1=68001003637961 Date: 2022.05.11 15:52:16 -05'00' {Inspector name} Herrera, Esteban Digitally signed by Herrera, Esteban DN: cn=Herrera, Esteban, email=Herrera.Esteban@epa.gov Date: 2022.05.12 07:41:51 -05'00' {Supervisor name} Date Date 1 EPA Inspection Report - Page 2 of 8 Kempenaar Real Estate, Ltd/Still Meadow Dairy Inspection Date 03/29/2022 Section I - INTRODUCTION PURPOSE OF THE INSPECTION EPA Region 6 inspectors Juan Ibarra and Lucas Bomar arrived at Still Meadow Dairy at 1020 on March 29, 2022, for an announced inspection (due to Covid precautions). We met with Mr. Noel Courts/consultant at the Opening Conference. I presented my credentials to Mr. Courts and informed him that this was an EPA inspection to determine the facility's compliance status with the requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) regulations stipulated within the facility's Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) CAFO general permit. The scope of the inspection included a compliance evaluation of the facility's site operations, lagoon maintenance, nutrient management plan, and record keeping requirements of their permit. For biosecurity purposes, the inspectors toured the site in Mr. Courts' vehicle and wore over-boots. FACILITY DESCRIPTION Still Meadow Dairy has a current permit for 8999 total mature cattle, of which 4999 can be milking head. The dairy reported that they have 3300 total milking head (milked twice daily) and 650 dry cows and heifers which are all kept in freestalls. The 300 calves are kept within three stall barns located south of the silage storage area. There are a total of 13 freestalls/stall barns on the dairy. All freestalls have roof drain collection systems that channel storm water runoff away from the production area and runoff control structures (RCS) watershed so as to remove that portion of the dairy from the lagoon design capacity equation. The dairy has three RCS which are part of the Nutrient Management Plan (NMP). They also have two concrete catch basins. One is located at the silage bunker area which is equipped with a sump pump that sends wastewater directly to a center pivot located in Land Management Unit (LMU) 3. A second large concrete catch basin is located between the two heifer freestalls that are on the west side of County Road 2346. This basin sends wastewater to the manure screen located on the east side of County Road 2346. Flush water and the carousel milking parlor wastewater flow thru a manure screen which is equipped with a screw press to further dewater solids. Wastewater then goes into the two solids settling basins (in series), followed by RCS 1. Flow from RCS 1 then enters either RCS 2 or 3, and these RCS units can transfer wastewater between the units. RCS 1 capacity is 37.5 ac-ft, RCS 2 capacity is 49.35 ac-ft, and RCS 3 capacity is 49.11 ac-ft. RCS 1 has approximately 2' of freeboard, and RCS 2 and 3 each have greater than 4' of freeboard. The RCS 3 was two feet below the 25-yr/24-hr rain event mark. RCS 2 and 3 were constructed in 2018 and had a liner certification dated 11/2/2018. The five-year liner/no hydrologic connection was completed on 4-17-2019 for all three units. Land application of manure (wastewater and slurry solids) is applied onto 20 LMUs totaling 1694 acres using 19 center pivots (two of which are new) that remove wastewater from RCS 2 and 3. Solids from RCS1 are agitated using a caged impeller and pump before being placed into a honey wagon which then applies the slurry to the same land application fields with a drag hose to pre-dress for the winter crops and ahead of the summer Coastal Bermuda crop. Manure solids are composted with spent feed in a former freestall 2 EPA Inspection Report - Page 3 of 8 Kempenaar Real Estate, Ltd/Still Meadow Dairy Inspection Date 03/29/2022 barn located on the adjacent and newly acquired Hux Dairy where heavy equipment keeps the windrows turned. The composted manure is then used as cattle bedding in the freestalls. Mortalities are composted with manure in an open pasture under a tarp which has a few holes but does not appear to contribute to a pollutant runoff hazard. This final composted material is run thru the manure screen again and composted for a second time with the rest of the manure which is then used as bedding material. The land application fields are double cropped with summer coastal hay and winter rye, oats or triticale. The winter crop is put up as silage, and the Coastal Bermuda is green-chopped and put into bags. The farm gets four to five cuttings from the Coastal Bermuda crop each year. Commodities are stored in a large barn under cover along with feed supplements. The eleven silage bunkers are kept under plastic tarps with only the working end exposed, and the silage bunker area is equipped with a concrete basin with a sump pump leading to center pivot #3. Section II - OBSERVATIONS The dairy is well managed and organized with no apparent deficiencies noted during the inspection. The records for facility inspections and maintenance were in good order, but an issue was found with the use of an incorrect nitrogen and phosphorus value in the agronomic rate calculations. Mr. Courts submitted a corrected land application calculation sheets for 2021 and 2022 by email on 3/31/2022. This error did not result in an overapplication of nitrogen or phosphorus to the land application sites. No other issues were found during the inspection. Section III - AREAS OF CONCERN None Section IV - FOLLOW UP Mr. Courts resubmitted the corrected land application records on 3/31/2022. Section V - LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1 - Photo Log - Three photos taken 3/29/2022 and Digital Globe aerial photograph 3 EPA Inspection Report - Page 4 of 8 Kempenaar Real Estate, Ltd/Still Meadow Dairy Inspection Date 03-29-2022 Appendix 1 Photograph Log and Site Aerial EPA Inspection Report - Page 5 of 8 UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Photograph Log Location: Still Meadow Dairy City: Como Photo No. 1 County: Hopkins State: Texas Photo File Name: P3290013.JPG Date of Photo: 03/29/2022 Time of Photo: 1054 Photographer: Juan Ibarra Description: The manure composting area located on the former Hux Dairy. The composting is taking place within a former freestall barn, under cover in a very large pasture. The view is toward the northnorthwest. EPA Inspection Report - Page 6 of 8 UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Photograph Log Location: Still Meadow Dairy City: Como Photo No. 2 County: Hopkins State: Texas Photo File Name: P3290014.JPG Date of Photo: 03/29/2022 Time of Photo: 1126 Photographer: Juan Ibarra Description: RCS 2 and 3, located on the right and left respectively. Each unit has approximately 4' of freeboard, and the pole marker is seen in RCS 3. The view is toward the west-southwest. EPA Inspection Report - Page 7 of 8 UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Photograph Log Location: Still Meadow Dairy City: Como Photo No. 3 County: Hopkins State: Texas Photo File Name: P3290015.JPG Date of Photo: 03/29/2022 Time of Photo: 1126 Photographer: Juan Ibarra Description: RCS 1 which had about 2' of freeboard, and several freestalls and the manure screen in the background. The view is toward the east. EPA Inspection Report - Page 8 of 8 UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Photograph Log Location: Still Meadow Dairy City: Como Photo No. 4 County: Hopkins Still Meadow Dairy DigitalGlobe aerial from 9-2-2021 State: Texas