EPA Update: He's been dragging his feet hasn't he! Only recently applied for his CAFO permit to operate from the NYS DEC, so how long has he been operating without the proper certifications??? And has a boat load of land to repair.....MARK FOR GOVERNOR!!!!
As of August 28, 2026, the EPA consent decree with Mark Ford and his companies remains in force. I found no public court filing showing that it has been terminated, satisfied, or formally enforced for noncompliance.
The federal court entered the decree on March 11, 2024. Based on that effective date, Ford’s principal deadlines were approximately:
March 26, 2024: retain a wetlands professional and a certified agricultural environmental planner.
September 7, 2024: complete the Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan.
March 7, 2026: fully implement that plan, unless EPA approved an extension or different schedule.
April 6, 2026: apply to NYSDEC for CAFO permit coverage, assuming implementation occurred March 7.
Ongoing: submit quarterly compliance reports to EPA and DOJ, contain wastewater, keep manure and bedding covered, and perform the EPA-approved wetland and stream restoration work.
The difficulty is that those quarterly reports and EPA’s approval correspondence are submitted directly by email—they are not automatically filed on the public court docket. Consequently, the public record does not presently establish whether Ford:
paid the $200,000 penalty;
completed the nutrient-management improvements;
applied for the required CAFO permit;
began or completed the approximately 18 acres of wetland restoration;
restored Crystal Run Creek and the second stream; or
has incurred stipulated penalties.
The decree cannot end merely because time has passed. Ford must complete the required work, pay all penalties, request termination, obtain the government’s agreement, and then secure court approval of a joint termination stipulation. No such termination appears publicly.
So the most accurate conclusion is: the decree is active, major deadlines have passed, but Ford’s actual compliance status is not publicly documented. EPA Region 2 or a federal FOIA request for the quarterly reports, mitigation-plan approvals, inspection reports, penalty-payment confirmation, and CAFO materials would reveal where the work truly stands.
