Compliance and Enforcement News Release (Region 10): Idaho Fish Hatchery fined $98,000 for Clean Water Act violations

Idaho Fish Hatchery fined $98,000 for Clean Water Act violations

Contact: Chris Gebhardt, NPDES Compliance Officer, (206) 553-0253, gebhardt.chris@epa.gov; Tony Brown, EPA Public Affairs, (206) 553-1203, brown.anthony@epa.gov

(Twin Falls, Idaho – August 3, 2010) Rainbow Trout Farms, Inc. has agreed to pay $98,002 to the Environmental Protection Agency to settle alleged federal Clean Water Act violations at its fish hatchery and processing facility near Filer, Idaho.

From October of 2007 through August of 2008, Rainbow Trout reported significantly higher levels of total residual chlorine, a toxic pollutant, than allowed by Rainbow Trout’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. Further review by EPA showed that Rainbow Trout regularly failed to provide valid reports of chlorine limits to EPA for over four years.

In addition, the review found Rainbow Trout violated its previous and current NPDES permit by:

• Exceeding monthly limits for total suspended solids, bio-chemical oxygen demand, and pH
• Failing to report these exceedances to EPA
• Failing to sample and report all parameters in June of 2008

According to Kim Ogle, NPDES Compliance Manager in Seattle, the Clean Water Act’s NPDES program relies on permit holders to provide information on pollution levels at their facilities.

“It’s disturbing that, month after month for years, this sophisticated operator failed to provide valid information to EPA on chlorine, a pollutant extremely toxic to fish and other organic organisms,” said EPA’s Ogle.

The NPDES permit program, a key part of the federal Clean Water Act, controls water pollution by regulating sources that discharge pollutants to waters in the United States.

For more information about EPA’s NPDES discharge program, visit:

http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/index.cfm  

Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.

View all Region 10 News Releases

---

BP Oil Spill Response: Web site | Get email updates

You can view or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems e-mail support@govdelivery.com for assistance.  This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355