A Central Washington dairy accused by the Environmental Protection Agency of polluting groundwater will sell its cows and close.

Liberty Dairy, one of three Yakima Valley dairies targeted by the EPA, will auction about 9,000 cows and heifers Oct. 19 in Toppenish.

Henry Bosma Jr., whose father started the dairy a half-century ago, declined to comment.

The dairy has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past several years to comply with agreements related to allegations by EPA that cow manure contaminated an aquifer, according to court records.

EPA levied new allegations in June, claiming the Liberty, Cow Palace and DeRuyter dairies have not done enough.

Nitrate levels in wells downslope from the dairies remain too high, according to EPA.

Other sources of nitrates in the valley include other dairies, septic tanks, farm and residential fertilizers, compost piles and nitrates from the atmosphere. EPA has focused on the three large dairies.

The dairies have spent millions of dollars in an attempt to satisfy EPA, according to court records. Washington State Dairy Federation policy director Jay Gordon said he expected to see one close after the new complaint.

“When I saw this attack, and that’s what it is, it was not hard to predict,” he said. “How much longer do you play that game with the EPA?

“This action by EPA has scared every dairy farmer in the state, at least the ones paying attention,” Gordon said. “You can spend millions of dollars, and it’s not good enough.

“It just kills me to lose Henry. To see him go out this way hurts,” Gordon said. “We’re losing a really good guy.”

EPA declined to comment.

EPA filed the complaint in U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington.

It’s asking Judge Thomas Rice to order the dairies to hire two or more organizations to contact residents to have their wells tested for nitrates.

The dairies would be required to supply drinking water or filters to residents whose wells tested high for nitrates, according to EPA’s proposed order.

In a joint response, dairies said they’ve reduced the number of manure lagoons to 21 from 44, supplied drinking water to residents within three miles and continue to monitor groundwater quality.

The dairies have spent more than $315,000 on the drinking water program in the past 5½ years, according to a statement from the program’s coordinator, Anchor QEA principal scientist Mark Larsen.

Yakima County Commissioner Ladon Linde said in sworn statement county officials already are reaching out to well owners. EPA’s involvement is “only going to create duplication, confusion,” he said.

“We are already addressing it with local people on the ground who are doing a great job including weekends to make it happen,” Linde stated.