Dear Governor Brown,

We need your help to protect our drinking water and air, and the long-term health of Eastern Oregon's rural communities from increasing contamination from mega-dairies.  We urge you to direct state agencies to deny the Easterday Farms permit to operate near Boardman.

The facts are clear.  The responsibility is clear.  We know, and the state has known for 3 decades, that the groundwater in our area - Morrow and Umatilla counties - has high nitrate levels and contaminates our drinking water.  We know that nitrate levels have continued to increase unabated due to industrial agriculture including mega-dairies. We know that high levels of nitrates cause serious health problems, including birth defects, cancers, and other diseases. 

And, we know that the state has the responsibility to protect our drinking water and our health.

As Governor, you have the opportunity to lead at this important moment.  As COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact our communities in Eastern Oregon, we need your help to protect our long-term health.

Simply put, especially at this moment, we do not need another mega-dairy deepening the problem. 

I urge you to enact a moratorium on any new mega-dairies immediately and to direct the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Quality to deny the Easterday Farms permit outright in order to protect Oregon's water and long-term health of our rural communities.

We need your leadership.

Thank You