By Jacki Moss

Special to the Tribune

A California-based mega-dairy's application for a State Operational Permit made quite a splash among southern Middle Tennessee residents.

Due to the large number of public comments submitted about the permit application, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Division of Water Resources held a public hearing on the issue Tuesday in Chapel Hill. Around 100 people attended the hearing, and about 20 of them asked questions or expressed their opinion about the proposed dairy farm.

Nash Dairy Company's proposed concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) would be located at 3983 Highway 41A North in Chapel Hill. The state permit is needed to authorize Nash's operation of a sewerage system for the wastewater generated by an 1,800-head mega-dairy (1,500 wet cows and 300 dry cows).

Steve Nash, a third-generation dairy farmer from California and owner of Nash Dairy Company, gave details of his proposed farm to the gathering, addressing many of the opponents' concerns before the public comment part of the meeting began.

"We looked at six other states before deciding on Tennessee," he said, noting "Tennessee's water availability; the number of dairy operations already here; the business climate; and the fact that much of the milk here is shipped in from as far as Texas" as determining factors in his decision to locate here.

Nash continued, "We will have the most modern technology and equipment" to ensure that the farm's operations "meet or exceed all Federal and state" requirements in relation to water quality and pollution issues. Nash said that he and his family have significant experience on his "404-acre farm in California, so we are used to managing a farm of this size."

He assured the audience that "there will be no discharge of manure in Clem Creek," and followed with a detailed explanation of the farm's proposed manure management system. "We will live on the property and our home will overlook Clem Creek," he said, adding that he certainly did not want a creek full of manure to be part of his landscape.

Members of the Bedford County Chapter of Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM) and their allies in the communities of Unionville, Rover, Chapel Hill, Lewisburg, and Shelbyville are opposed to the CAFO. They are asking the TDEC to deny Nash Dairy Company's permit application. The group says that residents support family farms, not animal factories, and they request that Nash move its proposed operation elsewhere.

Citizens on both sides of the issue voiced their opinions at Tuesday's meeting in Chapel Hill. Wayne Glynn of Belfast expressed concerns about the regulation of the potential discharge water into the Duck River and said that the issue "needs to be given very deep consideration."

Another citizen wondered that if the farm were to not follow regulations, "how long would it take to shut them down?"

Wanda Campbell, from Bedford County, shared more concerns, stating that she had lived six miles from a CAFO and that the operation "polluted our air and made it un-breathable. They polluted our water and made it undrinkable."

Other citizens noted different concerns including the large number of cows on the property; the use of growth hormones and antibiotics in the non-organic herd; and the training of the farm employees.

On the other side of the debate, Gerald Todd echoed the opinions of several speakers. He stated that he felt the dairy "would be a tremendous asset for Middle Tennessee and the community."

Marty Davis told the crowd that there has been a decline in the dairy industry in Tennessee, stating, "30 percent of the milk we drink isn't even from here." He noted that there is a trend toward communities wanting to buy locally-grown products and that allowing the Nash dairy to operate here would be a step in that direction. About the dissention over the dairy, Davis said, "I just don't see what the big issue is."

Larry Hasty, a retired engineer who worked for the US Department of Agriculture, who lives four miles from the proposed farm's site said, "I'm all for it. I have no concerns about it [the farm] polluting. They know what they are doing."

Marshall County Mayor Joe Boyd Liggett said, "If they meet all the regulations that TDEC has set forth, it looks like they should be farming here. It sounds like they will not only meet, but exceed, those regulations."

Nash said if their permit is approved and everything goes as planned, "We hope to be milking cows by Christmas."