Posted May 20, 2014
An Idaho Dairy has agreed to pay the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) $170,000 to settle allegations that it violated the
Clean Water Act, according to Capital Press article available here.
The dairy, which pumps wastewater into the city of
Jerome’s sewer system routinely failed to meet the Clean Water Act standards
for acidity from March 2009 to July 2012, according to an article by the Magic
Valley Times, available here. Over that period, the business exceeded its
acidity limit 138 times.
“Wastewater with improper acidity levels can damage
treatment plants because it is corrosive, can negatively affect the bacteria
that break down sewage and can ‘compromise the integrity of the wastewater
collection system pipes, leading to potential leakage.’”
For more information on the Clean Water Act, please
visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
