Oceanside
The operator of the Whelan Ranch Dairy in Oceanside has been cited for violating a San Diego County order that he reduce the farm’s herd from 1,200 to 327 head of cattle, the legal number that can be kept on the property.
The citation orders dairy operator Ivan Wood to appear in Vista Municipal Court on April 9. Wood, conservator of the late Ellen Whelan, faces a fine of $100 for violating the county ordinance that limits his herd to 327 head.
Whelan Ranch and two other North County dairies have been under scrutiny by the county and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board recently because of complaints about odors and fears that runoff from the operations is harmful to water quality. The water board has given the dairy operators until mid April to install water retention ponds to prevent runoff from their properties.
Attorneys for Wood have said they intend to apply for a major use permit so that the Whelan Dairy, in an unincorporated pocket bordered by Oceanside and Camp Pendleton, can keep the herd at its present size.
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