| DEP
Fines Farmland Dairies for Water Pollution Violations Impacting
the Saddle River
(03/34) Trenton— New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner
Bradley M. Campbell today announced that Farmland Dairies
located in Wallington, Bergen County, was fined $60,000
for nine unauthorized pollutant discharges into the Saddle
River and 14 violations of their Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Plan.
“New Jersey’s residents should not be forced
to shoulder the burden of polluted waterways when companies
like Farmland Dairies fail to comply with environmental
laws and take appropriate protective measures when handling
contaminants,” said DEP Commissioner Campbell. “Safeguarding
public health and protecting the environment must be a top
priority for all entities that choose to do business in
our state.”
A milk and dairy product processing and packaging plant,
Farmland Dairies was cited by the DEP for violations of
New Jersey's Water Pollution Control Act, the facility's
Discharge to Surface Water Permit and its Stormwater Pollution
Prevention Plan. Farmland Dairies’ DEP-issued permit
allows only the discharge of clean stormwater from the property
that has not contacted any industrial source materials.
During a DEP site visit conducted at Farmland Dairies on
September 6, 2001, nine violations of unpermitted discharges
to surface and groundwater were found. The DEP inspector
identified numerous uncovered dumpsters leaking odorous
unknown liquids to unpaved ground areas, a pothole filled
with a oily, milky liquid located behind a truck garage
near a stormwater catch basin, a trailer containing damaged
cartons and loose containers of liquid product, and spilled
containers located on unpaved areas.
In addition to discharge violations, Farmland Dairies was
issued 14 violations of its permit, Stormwater Pollution
Prevention Plan and Best Management Practices for failing
to ensure that source materials are properly handled and
have no exposure to stormwater, which ultimately discharges
into the Saddle River.
During the site visit, the DEP inspector identified:
- Plastic drums of Glycol (a chemical pollutant) located
on the parking area without cover or containment;
- Ten 55-gallon drums, three of which were badly rusted
and two five-gallon pails with an unknown liquid;
- Large piles of broken macadam, concrete, stone, debris,
and scrap metal;
- Fifty or more metal and plastic 55-gallon drums;
- Heavily rusted gas cylinders located near a well -
no markings visible;
- Ten or more truck refrigeration units located outside
the rear of the garage;
- Four large square non-reusable containers, one containing
unknown liquid;
- A drum of transmission fluid outside the garage without
containment or cover;
- A 55-gallon metal drum marked waste oil that was partially
filled with what appeared to be rain water;
- Five large square poly containers inside metal mesh
units labeled Sulfuric Acid with no containment or cover;
- Approximately six drums labeled Sodium Hypochlorite
near the water softener building; and
- Twenty or more plastic drums labeled Caustic Cleaner/Bleach
and Acid Cleaner as well as empty drums that contained
vanilla with no cover or containment provided.
A DEP Administrative Order and Notice of Civil Administrative
Penalty Assessment was issued to Farmland Dairies in the
amount of $60,000 on January 27, 2003. Farmland Dairies
has requested a hearing.
New Jersey's stormwater permitting program relies primarily
on pollution prevention through the development, implementation,
and maintenance of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans.
These plans stress the development of reasonable and cost
effective Best Management Practices (BMPs) that eliminate
or minimize the contact between source materials and stormwater.
NOTE: A copy of the DEP's Administrative
Order and Notice of Civil Administrative Penalty Assessment
that was issued to Farmland Dairies is available upon request.
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