Ecology may reconsider cost of Washington dairy rules

Dairy farmers and environmentalists criticized new manure-control rules the state Department of Ecology plans to finalize early next year, accusing state regulators of being too meddlesome or too lax.  At the first of two public hearings on the proposal, farmers said dairies already are heavily regulated and that Ecology’s new layer of mandates would be unnecessary, expensive and even dispiriting.  Ecology estimates that complying with the permit will cost a dairy between $11,000 and $25,000 over five years. To ease the financial hardship on the industry, the agency plans to exempt from the rules about 100 dairies that have fewer than 200 mature cows.  Ecology’s special assistant on water policy Kelly Susewind said the department may consider redrawing the line and exempting more dairies.