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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 12, 1997
97-178
CONTACT: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Officer (509) 456-4464
Mike Hepp, Water Quality Enforcement Manager, (509) 456-6309
SPOKANE, WA- The Department of Ecology has fined B&G Farms in Royal City $12,000 for violating the Clean Water Act, during the summer and fall of this year. The company discharged warm water and some wastewater from a mint still that is toxic to fish.
Warm water is known to damage fish habitat and harm the fish themselves. In addition, evidence shows that the water used to extract mint oil in a mint still is toxic to fish. Ecology received a complaint in August 1996 that fish were dying in Sand Hollow Creek because of a discharge of water from the mint still. Ecology investigated that complaint, but the still had stopped operating for the season at that time.
"We take violations like these very seriously," said Carl Nuechterlein (NEK-ter-line), water quality supervisor for Ecology's eastern region. "Penalties of this sort are always a last resort, but protecting Washington's surface waters is our first concern."
B&G Farms is operated by Mike Brown and includes approximately 18,000 acres located six miles west of Royal City. The violations that led to this penalty involve wastewater discharges from the mint still that were documented on July 15 and Sept. 23, 1997. B&G Farms discharged the polluted wastewater to Sand Hollow Creek without a permit and in violation of an agreement accepted by both Ecology and B&G to correct environmental problems at the site. That agreement, with conditions, was presented to Brown after Ecology inspectors visited the site in February 1997, and allowed B&G to operate during last summer as long as the company did not discharge to the creek.
Subsequent visits in July and September revealed that the still was operating, and 120-degree water was being discharged into the creek.
Any time a commercial or industrial operation discharges liquid waste or water to a lake or stream in Washington state, it is required to obtain a permit from the Department of Ecology.
B&G Farms may appeal this penalty to the Pollution Control Hearings Board.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
