January 4, 2007

Maple Leaf Dairy fined in wastewater case
 

Canada's leading dairy firm, Maple Leaf Dairy will pay nearly US$ 60,000 in fines and other costs for violating its wastewater management permit and causing a pair of manure spills in 2005 into Fischer Creek, a Lake Michigan tributary.

The Cleveland dairy, owned by Todd Leiteritz, will pay US$ 59,000 in fines for violating Wisconsin pollution discharge laws, as well as covering the costs for restoring effected streams, replacing fish and reimbursing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for its investigation.

Maple Leaf Dairy has 30 days to pay the fines once a judge approves the settlement.

In May, the DNR referred Maple Leaf Dairy and Sunnyside Dairy Farm LLC of Valders for possible legal action in alleged manure spills.

The state claimed Maple Leaf manure spills in September and October 2005 depleted game fish, degraded water quality and destroyed habitat. DNR officials said it would take several years for Fisher Creek to recover its water quality, fish population and habitat.

Under the settlement, the dairy is prohibited from spreading manure on a section of its farmland where liquid manure had previously seeped into the nearby creek.