By Wally Kennedy

wkennedy@joplinglobe.com

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Missouri Farms Dairy, northeast of Carthage, apparently has allowed wastewater to flow from its lagoon into Dry Fork Branch in violation of its permit, officials said.

Neighbors of the dairy, which is home to 1,200 cows, noticed that water in the branch was no longer clear on Friday and was covered, in some sections, by a layer of foam.

George Parsons, who investigates pollution problems for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, was dispatched to the dairy Friday. He returned Saturday to gather more information.

Tina White, spokeswoman for the DNR at Springfield, said: “There were some violations noted when he went out there. He still has to do some research. A notice of violation has not been issued yet.”

White said notices of violation normally are issued within a few days of an inspection, if conditions warrant.

“He (George Parsons) indicated that there were some maintenance issues that were causing some pollution problems,” White said.

Roy Parsons, manager of the dairy, said: “We have every intention to do anything we need to do to comply with any regulations. We want the dairy to be a positive thing for the community and local business.”

Missouri Farms Dairy, with offices in Golden City, is an investor-owned operation and the second-largest dairy in Missouri. “The owners are Missouri ag producers,” Roy Parsons said. “This is where we live, too.”

A recent snowfall and heavy rains have made the dairy’s multi-acre lagoon fuller than normal, Roy Parsons said. The dairy has been pumping water on growing crops on land that surrounds much of the dairy, he said.

White said Parsons took water samples from Dry Fork Branch, a tributary to Spring River, to check for biological waste.

The DNR permit to operate the dairy is being renewed, White said. If it is approved, the permit will be for a period of five years.

Brent Erwin, who operates a stable downstream from the dairy, said, “If you go by the dairy on County Road 50, you will see crystal clear water in the branch on the east side of the road and a noticeable foam on the water after it passes the dairy on the other side of the road.”

Erwin said the company promised to be a good neighbor, and that water “would not be an issue for those of us who live downstream. If they get written up, they’re likely to get more scrutiny.”