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Albany, Oregon Dairy to Pay $8000 Penalty

Release Date: 12/18/1997
Contact Information: Joe Roberto
[email protected]
(206) 553-1669 or (800) 424-4372


December 18, 1997 - - - - - - - - - - - 97-75


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A civil penalty of $8,000 will be paid by the Volbeda Dairy of Albany, Oregon, to settle a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency complaint alleging that the dairy discharged pollutants in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

Announcement of the settlement was made today in Seattle by Leroy Loiselle, chief of EPA's regional water compliance unit in Seattle.

EPA's complaint last March was based upon observations made during a visit to the dairy last year by inspectors from EPA and the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). The inspectors observed two discharges into a nearby creek, one by way of a drainage ditch and the other via a tile line.

Since the complaint was issued, Volbeda Dairy has taken steps to stop all unauthorized discharges, and has agreed to conduct its operations in compliance with the law.

The joint EPA-ODA inspection was part of ongoing efforts by EPA and the state of Oregon to ensure that all dairies and other concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are in compliance with the Clean Water Act. That statute requires all CAFOs to prevent runoff of wastes that can pollute nearby streams, lakes or other bodies of water. Discharges from CAFOs typically contain bacteria, large amounts of nutrients and other organic matter that can degrade water quality and harm wildlife.
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