Federal government files complaint against West Mich. farm

WEST MICHIGAN (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – The federal government is taking on a West Michigan dairy farm.

The FDA is seeking a permanent injunction against Scenic View Dairy of Hamilton. The FDA says the farm sold cows to be slaughtered with illegal traces of antibiotics in their systems.

The Justice Department filed a complaint Tuesday in Grand Rapids Federal Court.

Scenic View Dairy runs three farms in West Michigan, one in Freeport, as well as one in Fennville and another in Gowen. The FDA says it went to all three and found issues.

At Scenic View's operation in Fennville the FDA says in 2010 federal inspectors found excessive levels of antibiotics in cows being sold for slaughter, along with shoddy record keeping.

Similar findings were reported at the Freeport and Gowen locations in 2009. The FDA says the farms were repeatedly notified to change practices in years prior.

In the 24 page complaint, the USDA reports illegal residue of animal drugs in the cattle being sold, and that those drugs were not administered properly. On a separate page the FDA says drugs were given without a proper prescription.

In 2005 Newschannel 3 profiled Scenic View Dairy for committing to alternative energy. The farm received a federal grant to build a bio-digester to extract methane for energy.

At that time farm manager Mark Lucas spoke about how it would help produce electricity and more.

Lucas is one of those named in the federal complaint, along with others at Scenic View. Newschannel 3 contacted the company on Wednesday, but was told they had no comment.

The FDA says issues at the farm deal with meat only, and warns that people who consume meat tinged with antibiotics can sometimes become sick, or have severe allergic reactions.

The agency says milk is probably not impacted, since Michigan tests for antibiotics and doesn't let milk on the market if it tests positive.

The question then is where did all the meat go? Since the alleged violations occurred repeatedly between 2002 and 2010 it may be impossible to know where it all went.

The FDA says that Scenic View Dairy bought cattle from New Hampshire, Vermont and Pennsylvania, and sold cattle for slaughter to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.