ConAgra Signs Clean Water Act Permit Plea Agreement

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Under the terms of a plea agreement signed with the United States on Aug. 1, ConAgra, Inc., owner and operator of a food ingredient and flour mill in Hastings, Minn., pleaded guilty to a one-count information filed with the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Under the terms of a plea agreement signed with the United States onAug. 1, ConAgra, Inc., owner and operator of a food ingredient and flourmill in Hastings, Minn., pleaded guilty to a one-count information filedwith the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota inMinneapolis. If the plea agreement is approved by the court, ConAgrawill pay a $138,513 criminal fine, pay $1,487 in restitution to theMinnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), provide $55,000 in communityservice to the National Park Foundation and provide $55,000 in communityservice to the Friends of the Mississippi River.


In its plea, ConAgraadmitted that it negligently violated the Clean Water Act by failing toreport and maintain proper documentation of discharge water temperaturereadings as required by its National Pollution Discharge EliminationSystem permit. Readings that were higher than allowed by the permitwere recorded in a logbook and were not transmitted to the MPCA inrequired Discharge Monitoring Reports. Discharging wastewater withhigher than permitted temperature readings can harm fish and otheraquatic life in surface waters.


The case was investigated by theMinneapolis Office of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division incoordination with the MPCA. It is being prosecuted by the EnvironmentalCrimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.


Source: EPA