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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 20, 1997
97-184
Contact: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Officer, (509) 456-4464
Max Linden, Central Regional Office water quality section, (509) 454-7207
YAKIMA, WA - The Department of Ecology and DeRuyter Brothers Dairy in Outlook, Washington, have reached an "innovative settlement" in which the dairy will donate money for water quality improvements in lieu of paying fines.
Last March Ecology assessed a $30,000 fine against DeRuyter Brothers Dairy for discharging manure-contaminated waste into an agricultural return drain on Dec. 31, 1996, and Jan. 1-2, 1997.
Although DeRuyter Brothers Dairy has not admitted fault or improper action, the company has agreed to settle the assessed penalty by helping to finance several local water quality projects.
"We are very pleased that we have reached an agreement that will benefit water quality," said Max Linden of Ecology's water quality section in Yakima. "The Deruyter Brothers helped turn a potential conflict into a win for both parties and for the community."
"Innovative settlements" are binding agreements that allow the parties to resolve environmental issues while allowing Ecology to avoid the expense of litigation to collect the penalty.
According to the settlement, DeRuyter Brothers Dairy will donate $20,000 to help Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District construct a sediment-settling basin to improve water quality in an agricultural drain. The dairy will donate $3,750 to the South Yakima Conservation District to help develop animal waste management plans and help educate the local farming community about water quality issues. Another $3,750 will be used for an environmental education project in the Lower Yakima Valley to be chosen by the Department of Ecology. The balance of $2,500 must go to the state general fund for administrative costs.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
