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White Squirrel Ranch, LLC dba Bobcat Feeders, LLC

Program Name
Water: Agriculture
FID
75183
Location
SE 1/4, Section 24, and Pt. N 1/2, Section 25, Township 15N, Range 22W, Custer County
Nearest City
Broken Bow, NE
Link to Public Notice Documents
Public Notice Documents
Link to view all program documents
All Program Documents

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Permit Type
Coverage under the NPDES General Permit
Comment Start Date
End of Comment Period

NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE COVERAGE UNDER NPDES GENERAL PERMIT FOR CAFOS – NEG023000 

Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy

NPDES and State Permits Section

Lincoln, Nebraska

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (Department) is issuing notice to provide an opportunity for any interested person to submit written comments, objections and/or hearing requests concerning the issuance of coverage under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to the following CAFO.  The opportunity to comment applies only to the CAFO listed below and not to the General Permit which has already been issued.

The Public Comment Period will run from June 18th, 2025 through July 18th, 2025.

Application Number

NEG023129

NDEE ID: 75183

Name of ApplicantWhite Squirrel Ranch, LLC
Name of OperationWhite Squirrel Ranch, LLC dba Bobcat Feeders, LLC
Authorized Representative Dr. Larry Coleman

Address

City/State/Zip Code

43175 Pressey West Road

Oconto, NE 68860

Legal DescriptionSE 1/4, Section 24, and Pt. N 1/2, Section 25, Township 15N, Range 22W, Custer County
Animal Capacity and Type

Existing: 7,400 Feeder Cattle on 89.3 acres of Total Drainage

Proposed: 600 head of Feeder cattle on an additional 2.2 acres if Total Drainage

Type of Livestock Waste Control Facility

Existing: One (1) Holding Pond, Four (4) Debris Basins, One (1) Truck Wash, One (1) Clean Water Diversion Berm, Two (2) Lift Stations and One (1) Sediment Basin Diversion Berm

Proposed: One (1) Debris Basin

Discharge Limits

The holding pond must be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained to control the manure, litter and process wastewater generated during the storage period plus the runoff produced by a 25-year, 24-hour storm event (4.6 inches). 

The storage period capacity for the open lots must be no less than the greater of the expected average runoff from the month of June or the maximum runoff expected between land application or disposal events.

Permit Terms of the Nutrient Management Plan (NMP)

  1. Ensure adequate storage of manure, litter, and process wastewater, including procedures to ensure proper operation and maintenance of the storage facilities.

  1. Ensure proper management of mortalities.

  1. Ensure clean water is diverted.

  1. Prevent direct contact of animals with waters of the State.

  1. Ensure chemicals and other contaminants are properly handled onsite.

  1. Site-specific conservation practices are implemented, including as appropriate, buffers or equivalent practices to control runoff of pollutants to waters of the State.

  1. Site-specific setback maps not included in #6 above.

  1. Ensure specific records are maintained as required in Part II, Section E, Table A.

  1. Implement protocols to land apply manure, litter, and process wastewater to ensure agricultural utilization of the nutrients in the manure, litter, and process wastewater using the narrative rate approach:

  • Fields available for land application

  • Timing limitations for land application

  • Nitrogen & phosphorus transport risk assessment result

  • Planned crops or other usage

  • Alternative crops

  • Realistic annual crop yield goal

  • Total N & P recommendations per crop

  • Narrative rate approach methodology, to account for:

    • Soil test results;

    • Credits for plant available N in the field;

    • Amount of N & P in the manure, litter, and process wastewater to be applied;

    • Consideration of multi-year P application;

    • Accounting for all other additions of plant available N & P to the field;

    • Form and source of manure, litter, & process wastewater;

    • Timing and method of land application;

    • Volatilization of nitrogen and mineralization of organic nitrogen.

  • Maximum amount of N & P from all sources

  1. Ensure protocols for appropriate testing of manure, litter, process wastewater, and soil are followed.

Land Application PracticesThe proposal is to land apply effluent through a pump and power unit that connects to a center pivot system.  Solid waste will be land applied by dry spreader.  Slurry will be land applied by tanker or drag hose injection.  Land application agreements with neighboring landowners have been signed.
Land Application Sites

      NE 05 N 14 W 21

      S     11 N 15 W 23

      W     14 N 16 W 23

      NW 05 N 14 W 21

   E     SE 11 N 15 W 24

      W     23 N 16 W 23

      NE 31 N 15 W 21

      N     12 N 15 W 24

      NW 35 N 18 W 21

      SW 32 N 15 W 21

   E     NE 12 N 15 W 24

   E     SW 28 N 16 W 21

      NW 03 N 15 W 22

   W     SW 12 N 15 W 24

         30 N 16 W 21

      E     04 N 15 W 22

      NE 33 N 15 W 24

   W     NE 33 N 16 W 21

      SE 11 N 15 W 22

      SE 05 N 16 W 21

   E     NW 33 N 16 W 21

      SW 12 N 15 W 22

      SW 05 N 16 W 21

      E     25 N 16 W 22

      SW 13 N 15 W 22

      W     08 N 16 W 21

      E     14 N 16 W 23

      NE 14 N 15 W 22

      NW 17 N 16 W 21

         25 N 15 W 22

   N     NE 23 N 15 W 22

      SW 20 N 16 W 21

   E     NW 25 N 15 W 22

         24 N 15 W 22

   W     SE 28 N 16 W 21

   W     NW 07 N 15 W 23

      NE 24 N 15 W 22

  

 

End of Public Comment PeriodJuly 18th, 2025

This coverage under the NPDES General Permit would be for a period of five years, and would restrict pollutant discharges to comply with the requirements of Department regulations.  The application includes a detailed nutrient management plan from which permit terms have been identified. 

The application for General Permit coverage, nutrient management plan and other public information are available for review and copying between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (CT), weekdays, excluding holidays at the Department's Telephone (402) 471-2186; FAX: (402) 471-2909; or E-Mail: ndee.records@nebraska.gov.  Individuals requiring special accommodations or alternate formats of materials should notify the Department by calling (402) 471-2186.  TDD users should call (800) 833-7352 and ask the relay operator to call the Department at (402) 471-2186. Please include the above name and legal description of the concentrated animal feeding operation.

All comments received during the public comment period will be considered in the final decision on granting coverage under the NPDES Permit.  A request for a public hearing must be submitted in writing and must state the nature of the issues proposed to be raised at a hearing.  A determination to hold a hearing will be based on factual environmental or regulatory considerations.  All public comments and requests for hearings must be submitted in writing to:  NPDES and State Permits Section, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, 245 Fallbrook Blvd. Suite 100, Lincoln, Nebraska 68521.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, or sex in administration of its programs or activities, and NDEE does not intimidate or retaliate against any individual or group because they have exercised their rights to participate in or oppose action protected/prohibited by 40 C.F.R. Parts 5 and 7, or for the purpose of interfering with such rights.