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NEWS RELEASE
December 8, 2006
Contacts:
Walt Baker, (801) 538-6047
Executive Secretary, Utah Water Quality Board
Donna Kemp Spangler, (801) 536-4484
Public Information Officer, DEQ
Public has until January 8, 2007 to comment
(Salt Lake City, Utah) – The public has a chance to comment on a revised settlement agreement that would allow Ritewood, Inc., an egg production operation in northern Utah, to fund the construction of a wetlands facility at the Utah State University Botanical Center in Kaysville as payment for a previous violation of the Clean Water Act.
Under the proposed settlement, Ritewood agrees to provide the Utah State University (USU) with $105,000, which is equal to the penalty assessed by the state in the previous settlement agreement reached on August 16, 2006. The settlement agreement has been revised to include an environmental project.
“We are pleased that USU and Ritewood have agreed to collaborate on a project that will serve as a valuable learning tool for Utahns to better understand the importance of wetlands in an ecosystem,” said Walt Baker, executive secretary of the Utah Water Quality Board (WQB) and director of the Division of Water Quality.
The project consists of the construction of a wetland discovery building and improvements to the existing ponds and associated wetlands at the botanical center including revegetation with hydrophilic vegetation, treatment of storm water discharges, improvement to water quality, and the introduction of native aquatic animal species for study and research. Educational opportunities provided for school children at the new building will include education about water and energy conservation, water quality, water-wise landscaping, migratory birds, fish habitat, and wetland ecosystems. In addition, horticulture classes, USU Extension classes, USU credit courses, workshops, and educational family events will be provided in the new building.
This settlement agreement is a result of a notice of violation the WQB issued to Ritewood, Inc. in May 2005, for discharging wastewater from a manure composting operation into the Cub River in March 2005. Ritewood Inc., located in Lewiston, Cache County, operates a composting facility near Richmond, Utah, used to store and compost chicken manure. The facility is permitted under the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permit. The state cited Ritewood, Inc. for various violations that included discharging wastewater without a permit under Utah’s Water Quality Act and failing to have a “Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan” (CNMP) as required under the CAFO permit.
Under the settlement agreement Ritewood, Inc. agrees to:
The settlement agreement is available for public review under “Public Notices” at: www.waterquality.utah.gov. Written public comments can be submitted to: Walt Baker, Executive Secretary, Utah Water Quality Board, Box 144870, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4870 or by e-mail at: wbaker@utah.gov. The deadline to receive comments is January 8, 2007. After considering public comment the WQB may execute the settlement agreement, revise it or abandon it.
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