Permit issued for North Florida Dairies, LLC to operate a dairy facility.

STATE OF FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE PERMIT
 
The Department of Environmental Protection gives notice of its intent to issue a permit to North Florida Dairies, LLC, Evan Barton, 2740 West Co Road 232, Bell, Florida 32619 to operate North Florida Dairies, LLC, which is a total confinement dairy (i.e. a concentrated animal feeding operation (SIC Code: 0241)), that is composed of two dairies (West Facility and East Facility), encompasses approximately 3,120 acres. The dairy operates with a proposed herd size of 12,650 mature cows (maximum annual average), of which 5,800 are lactating (4,000 are in East Facility, and 1,800 are in West Facility), 812 are dry, and 6,038 are heifers/springers, and about 350 calves. The waste management system is designed to accommodate 5,800 lactating cows with an average weight of 1,350 lbs, 812 dry cows with an average weight of 1,450 lbs, 6,038 heifers at 950 lbs average weight, and about 350 calves. The design provides that the lactating cows and heifers will deposit 100% of their nutrients in freestall barns while the dry cows will deposit about 75% of their nutrients in freestall barns and the remaining 25% in surrounding pastures. The East Facility consists of two covered milking centers (i.e. primary milking center and secondary milking center), fifteen (15) freestall barns (i.e. 7 existing freestall barns and 8 proposed freestall barns), covered milking parlors, a hospital barn, travel lanes, commodities storage area, sand separation lanes, collection sump, screen separators, surge tanks, concrete lined solids storage area, and five wastewater storage ponds (i.e. three (3) concrete lined wastewater storage ponds, one (1) new WSP and one (1) HDPE-lined WSP). The West Facility consists of one (1) cover milking center, four (4) freestall barns, travel lanes, commodities storage area, sand separation lanes, collection sump, screen separators, surge tanks, concrete lined solids storage area, and two (2) wastewater storage ponds (i.e. one (1) concrete lined wastewater storage pond, and one (1) HDPE-lined WSP). Treated wastewater will be pumped from the 13.95-Mgal new WSP holding pond and then to the sprayfields with a total area of 1,299 acres. The facility is located at latitude 29 43' 30.3615" N, longitude 82 52' 13.2592" W, on 3740 SW 10th Street, Bell, Florida 32619-519 in Gilchrist County. This permit is issued under Chapter 403, Florida Statutes (F.S.). The Department has assigned permit file number FLA285331-012-IW4A to the proposed project.
 
The intent to issue and application file are available for public inspection during normal business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays, at the Department's Northeast District Office, 8800 Baymeadows Way West, Suite 100, Jacksonville, Florida 32256-7590, at phone number (904)256-1700.
 
NOTICE OF RIGHTS
The Department will issue the permit unless a petition for an administrative hearing is timely filed under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, F.S., before the deadline for filing a petition. On the filing of a timely and sufficient petition, this action will not be final and effective until further order of the Department. Because the administrative hearing process is designed to formulate final agency action, the hearing process may result in a modification of the agency action or even denial of the application.
 
Petition for Administrative Hearing
A person whose substantial interests are affected by the Department's action may petition for an administrative proceeding (hearing) under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, F.S. Pursuant to Rules 28-106.201 and 28-106.301, F.A.C., a petition for an administrative hearing must contain the following information:
(a) The name and address of each agency affected and each agency's file or identification number, if known;
(b) The name, address, any e-mail address, any facsimile number, and telephone number of the petitioner, if the petitioner is not represented by an attorney or a qualified representative; the name, address, and telephone number of the petitioner's representative, if any, which shall be the address for service purposes during the course of the proceeding; and an explanation of how the petitioner's substantial interests will be affected by the agency determination;
(c) A statement of when and how the petitioner received notice of the Department's agency decision;
(d) A statement of all disputed issues of material fact. If there are none, the petition must so indicate;
(e) A concise statement of the ultimate facts alleged, including the specific facts that the petitioner contends warrant reversal or modification of the agency's proposed action;
(f) A statement of the specific rules or statutes the petitioner contends require reversal or modification of the agency's proposed action, including an explanation of how the alleged facts relate to the specific rules or statutes; and
(g) A statement of the relief sought by the petitioner, stating precisely the action that the petitioner wishes the agency to take with respect to the agency's proposed action.
The petition must be filed (received by the Clerk) in the Office of General Counsel of the Department at 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Mail Station 35, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000, or via electronic correspondence at Agency_Clerk@FloridaDEP.gov. Also, a copy of the petition shall be mailed to the applicant at the address indicated above at the time of filing.
 
Time Period for Filing a Petition
Petitions filed by any persons other than the applicant, and other than those entitled to written notice under Section 120.60(3), F.S., must be filed within 14 days of publication of the notice or within 14 days of receipt of the written notice, whichever occurs first. The failure to file a petition within the appropriate time period shall constitute a waiver of that person's right to request an administrative determination (hearing) under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, F.S., or to intervene in this proceeding and participate as a party to it. Any subsequent intervention (in a proceeding initiated by another party) will be only at the discretion of the presiding officer upon the filing of a motion in compliance with Rule 28-106.205, F.A.C.
 
Extension of Time
Under Rule 62-110.106(4), F.A.C., a person whose substantial interests are affected by the Department's action may also request an extension of time to file a petition for an administrative hearing. The Department may, for good cause shown, grant the request for an extension of time. Requests for extension of time must be filed with the Office of General Counsel of the Department at 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Mail Station 35, Tallahassee, Florida 32399- 3000, or via electronic correspondence at Agency_Clerk@FloridaDEP.gov, before the deadline for filing a petition for an administrative hearing. A timely request for extension of time shall toll the running of the time period for filing a petition until the request is acted upon.
Mediation
Mediation is not available in this proceeding.
Published February 6, 2026.