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Features Applications Business/Policy Dairy Environment Protection Protection United States
Iowa dairy to pay $20,000 fine


October 29, 2013  by Press release

October 28, 2013, Lenexa, KS – An Inwood, IA, dairy has agreed to pay a $20,000 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency announced recently.

The facility qualifies as a large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) under Clean Water Act regulations. However, at the time of EPA’s inspection in July 2012, the dairy did not possess a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit as required by law. The dairy confined approximately 1,000 cattle at the time of the inspection.

The inspection also noted the facility does not have adequate waste control facilities and that the slope and condition of the land at the facility will result in wastewater discharge into tributaries of Dry Run Creek.

EPA Region 7 issued the operation an Administrative Compliance Order on April 1, 2013, which required the dairy to cease all wastewater discharge from its facility or reduce the number of cattle at the facility until unauthorized discharges are eliminated. The order also required the dairy to obtain an NPDES permit in order to maintain or increase the number of cattle at the facility.

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As part of the settlement agreement, the operation has certified that it is now in compliance with the Clean Water Act. The consent agreement is subject to a 40-day public comment period before it becomes final.

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