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Department of Ecology News Release - December 30, 2004
04-238
BELLINGHAM - The state Department of Ecology (Ecology) has issued a fine of $18,500 to Nature's Path Foods for discharging more than 600 pounds of sugar into the Blaine sewer system and for other waste-discharge violations.
Nature's Path Foods operates a cereal manufacturing plant in Blaine. A waste-discharge permit issued to the company sets limits on the amount of pollution that discharge into Blaine's public sewer system. Excessive food waste can lead to low levels of oxygen - needed by fish and other organisms - in the water.
The plant's waste water violated the permit limits during the nine months from October 2003 through June 2004. The company also failed to properly monitor and report the facility's wastewater discharges, as required in the permit.
The sugar discharge interfered with the treatment process at Blaine's sewage facility, an additional violation of the Nature's Path waste-discharge permit. This resulted in the city's sewage treatment plant exceeding some of the pollution limits set in its own wastewater permit.
"We are providing technical assistance to help Nature's Path with its wastewater pre-treatment so that the permit violations are not repeated," said Doug Knutson, an environmental engineer with Ecology.
"It is unfortunate that this fine had to be levied on one of our major industrial customers," said Steve Banham, Blaine's public-works director. "We have been working closely with Nature's Path over the past year as they worked to install pretreatment equipment to meet their permit. We understand the challenge of treating food processing byproducts and appreciate their efforts to reduce loads on the city's limited treatment system until new facilities can be constructed."
Nature's Path Foods may appeal the penalty to Ecology or the state Pollution Control Hearings Board within 30 days.
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Media contact: Larry Altose, public information officer, 425-649-7009
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
