EPA orders Simplot Cattle to change watering practice

For at least the past five years the Simplot Cattle Feeding Company’s Grand View feedlot has been found by the Environmental Protection Agency to be discharging contaminated water into the Ted Trueblood Wildlife Refuge and Snake River. On June 11, the EPA announced in a press release it has issued a legal order to the company to immediately cease all discharge. The order stems from Simplot’s use of a constant flow stock watering system, that when not used for irrigation (usually from November to March), a portion of the water is diverted to pasture, irrigation ditches, or into the wildlife refuge, all of which ultimately flow into the Snake River. Simplot’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) permit is essentially a “no discharge” permit, Potakar said. If watering system flows do not leave the facility they are not considered discharge. At this time, EPA is handling the violation administratively, which carries potential $16,000 per day, per violation fines if Simplot doesn’t follow the order...more