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Tillamook Area Dairy Faces Penalty

Release Date: 6/20/2000
Contact Information: Bub Loiselle and Jeff Philip
[email protected]
(206) 553-6901 and (206) 553-1465

June 20, 2000 - - - - - - - - - - 00-032


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Tillamook County dairy has been issued a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency complaint seeking $11,000 in civil penalties because agency inspectors discovered manure-laden wastes entering nearby drainage ditch that connects to Hoquarten Slough, and ultimately to Tillamook Bay.

Named in the complaint is David Hogan, owner of Misty Meadows Dairy in Tillamook, where the EPA inspectors in February observed wastes flowing from the dairy into the ditch that flows into Hoquarten Slough.

The complaint against Hogan was announced today by Bub Loiselle, manager of the water compliance unit at EPA's Northwest regional headquarters in Seattle.

"A dairy this size produces three times as much waste as the entire city of Tillamook,” Loiselle said. “Hoquarten Slough and Tillamook Bay are already heavily distressed by nutrient loadings from all sorts of agricultural activities, when it comes to animal wastes, the impacts on water quality can be severe.”

Dairy waste typically contains large amounts of nutrients and other organic material that can degrade water quality and harm wildlife. The wastes can also contain E. coli and salmonella bacteria, plus other health-threatening microorganisms -- for example, the cryptosporidium parasite that can seriously affect human health and can cause death. Tillamook Bay’s shellfish beds have been closed during heavy rains due to elevated bacteria levels.

Hogan has 30 days from the date he receives the complaint to challenge the penalty or to contest the EPA allegations.

The complaint was accompanied by a compliance order that directs the dairy to cease all discharges immediately, to conduct daily monitoring to make sure no discharge takes place and -- if a discharge were to occur -- to make prompt reports to EPA about what happened.