Chicago—(ENEWSPF)—March 11, 2014. Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced that a Bureau County food processor has paid a civil penalty of $39,000 after admitting to water pollution and open dumping violations for illegally disposing of dairy waste.
Madigan said a consent order stemming from a 2012 lawsuit against Walnut, Ill.-based Avanti Foods Co. requires the company to apply to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) for a permit to discharge the facility’s waste water into the village’s sewer system. The consent order also requires the company to cease and desist from future violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.
The order, which was filed in Bureau County Circuit Court, cites a November 2011 IEPA inspection during which time officials witnessed a tank truck illegally discharging dairy waste in a field north of the village. After issuing a violation notice to Avanti for that incident, IEPA officials conducted a follow-up inspection in March 2012, during which time they detected residue from discharged dairy waste covering the Avanti plant’s floor drains and sewer inlets, which could potentially contaminate the community’s sewer system.
“This order will ensure the company is held responsible for violating the state’s environmental protection laws, which are in place to ensure the community’s health and safety,” Madigan said.
Assistant Attorney General Evan McGinley is handling the case for Madigan’s Environmental Bureau.
Source: illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
