EPA v. VALE WOOD FARMS (VALE WOOD DAIRY)

Case summary

On June 13, 2024, the Director of ECAD, Region 3, entered into an AOC with the Vale Wood Farms (?Respondent?) for violations of its Pennsylvania National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ( NPDES ) Permit for Domestic Sewage, Permit No. PA0009466 ( the Permit ). Respondent is the owner and/or operator of a domestic sewage wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located at 517 Vale Wood Road, Loretto, Pennsylvania. The Facility is a dairy processing facility which discharges from its wastewater treatment plant into Clearfield Creek, a relatively permanent water, which is connected to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River that ultimately is connected to the Chesapeake Bay. Violations identified at the Facility include forty-one (41) effluent exceedances from September 2019 to February 2023. The parameters exceeded include biological oxygen demand (BOD), and total suspended solids (TSS). In addition, Respondent failed to report all sampling results in its DMRs. Respondent has agreed to perform an analysis of the causes of the BOD effluent exceedances, submit a corrective action, and develop standard operating procedures for sampling and analysis. The injunctive relief sought in the AOC is intended to resolve the outstanding violations and return the Facility to compliance. The Facility is located in an environmental justice community per EJ screen. EPA has coordinated with PADEP throughout the enforcement process.

Defendants (1)

• VALE WOOD FARMSNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• VALE WOOD DAIRY

  517 VALE WOOD RD, LORETTO, PA, 15940-6605

  Registry ID: 110023167516

Statutes cited

• CWA 301/402 — NPDES Permit Violations

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• VALE WOOD FARMS (VALE WOOD DAIRY)entered 2024-06-13

  Primary law: CWA

Timeline (2 milestones)

• 2024-06-13Final Order Issued
• 2024-06-28Enforcement Action Data Entered