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EPA Orders Ray Hoffman, Jr. Dairy to Cease and Desist Unauthorized Discharges

Release Date: 08/07/2008
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(Dallas, Texas - August 7, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a cease and desist administrative order to Ray Hoffman, Jr. Dairy in Windthorst, Texas, for violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

The dairy, an unpermitted Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO), is located about five miles west of Windthorst, off Highway 25, about one-half mile south on Munchrath Road, in Archer County, Texas. The facility has been ordered to immediately stop all discharges of pollutants from its lagoon to waters of the United States. The dairy has been given 45 days to provide to EPA documentation that the facility has adequate lagoon capacity to contain all waste and process-generated wastewater plus storm water runoff during a 25-year, 24-hour storm event. The facility has also been given 45 days to develop and implement a pollution prevention plan that will include procedures for the proper utilization of nutrients generated by the dairy, proper disposal of dead animals and the proper maintenance of records, especially records documenting wastewater levels in the lagoon to minimize lagoon overflows.

In April 2008, EPA inspected the facility and determined that it did not have CAFO permit coverage. The inspection also revealed an unauthorized discharge from the dairy that entered an unnamed creek that traveled about one mile before entering Little Onion Creek. Little Onion Creek flows about three miles before it enters Onion Creek, which discharges into the Little Wichita River. The Little Wichita River flows about seven-and-one-half miles before discharging into Lake Arrowhead.

Based on these findings, the owner and operator of the dairy has been ordered to immediately take action to bring the facility into compliance with the Clean Water Act.

More about activities in EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/region6

EPA audio file is available at
https://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/audio.htm#audio080708_rayhoffman dairy