March 27, 2007

The Department of Environmental Quality has entered into an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) with Laracha Farms in Bay County to resolve civil violations for the unauthorized discharge of spoiled sugar beet and processed pulp waste effluent to the German Road Drain and the Nearing Drain, tributaries of the Quanicassee River. The sugar beet effluent created a septic condition in the surface water that resulted in multiple fish kills within the German Road Drain.

The ACO entered between the DEQ and Laracha resolves the violations and requires Laracha to pay a civil fine in the amount of $11,217.04. Additionally, Laracha will pay $8,782.96 to reimburse the DEQ for enforcement costs of the investigation surrounding the violations and will implement a sugar beet management plan and notify the DEQ anytime they accept sugar beet wastes and processed pulp wastes.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised March 27, 2007 by Pat Watson