In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a study that blamed dairy farmers in the Yakima Basin for pollution of groundwater and high nitrate levels due to lagoon leaks. However, after further study, expert scientists disagreed.
Scientific information needs to be backed up by peer review. Not only was this study not supported with a proper peer reviews as required by federal policy, the EPA also lied about the inadequate peer review they conducted and the category of science information.
This study, originally published as an “influential” science document, was defended by the EPA as such. But when challenged as the adequacy of the review, staff claimed it was not “influential” science but “other”, where independent peer review is not required. The EPA’s recently released documents prove staff lied about the changes and the review. How many more farms will have to go out before justice is done and these public officials held to account?
To get the full story, read the press release here: https://savefamilyfarming.org/blog/epa-withholds-smoking-gun-document-in-dairy-farm-litigation-then-claims-expiration-of-statute-of-limitations/
Read the feature of this story in the Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jul/16/will-the-epa-get-away-with-its-shoddy-science-cove/
Learn how this study is still negatively affecting family farms in the Yakima Valley here: https://savefamilyfarming.org/blog/epa-lied-farms-died/
To get more information and updates about the study, read the key facts here, and follow the further links and PDFs attached below:
SFF-EPA-Smoking-Gun-DR3-063020-formatRead the documents and emails exchanged that prove the cover-up and lies in the PDF below. Further links with more information are attached below this PDF.
SFF-EPA-SmokingGUn-2ndFOIA_compressedTo learn more about the origin of the study and see information and evidence against the study displayed in detail, read here: https://savefamilyfarming.org/blog/how-the-epa-got-the-science-of-nitrates-and-dairy-farms-so-wrong/
To get more information on the facts and what professionals and scientists have to say about this issue, read here: https://savefamilyfarming.org/blog/epa-leaders-continue-to-misrepresent-the-nitrate-study-peer-review/
To learn more about the actions dairy farmers took to fight this, read here: https://savefamilyfarming.org/blog/dairy-farmers-ask-ninth-circuit-court-to-review-flawed-epa-nitrate-study/
To get a detailed analysis of the Nitrate study, read here: https://savefamilyfarming.org/blog/detailed-analysis-of-falsified-epa-nitrate-study/
Watch the video for an overview on the information: