Chicken processor Allen Harim agrees to DNREC wastewater order, $150,000 fine

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The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced the signing of a conciliation order today with Allen Harim Foods, LLC. DNREC also levied a $150,000-plus  fine.

The order requires the company to take actions at its Millsboro and Harbeson facilities and granted a wastewater treatment permit for the Harbeson plant.

According to the order, Allen Harim is required to perform wastewater reduction actions; to investigate and install stormwater improvements; and to terminate stream discharge for wastewater disposal purposes at both the Harbeson and Millsboro facilities. Also, the order resolves past wastewater violations at the Harbeson facility and requires cleanout and repurposing of an old anaerobic lagoon as a diversion lagoon for wastewater prior to retreatment and disposal.

Beyond those DNREC requirements Allen Harim agreed to pay a penalty of $150,340 and will be subject to stipulated penalties by the Department for non-compliance with any corrective action provisions of the order. The conciliation order between DNREC and Allen Harim can be found at dnrec.delaware.gov.

The second action taken today by DNREC concerning Allen Harim involves the issuance of an Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Operations Permit for the company’s Harbeson facility.

The operations permit allows Allen Harim to perform onsite treatment of poultry processing wastewater and subsequently to transfer treated effluent to Artesian’s Northern Sussex Regional Recharge Facility for disposal via spray irrigation.

The operations permit requires that Allen Harim implement the same  level of treatment that would be required for spray disposal at golf courses or state parks. The permit also requires Allen Harim to divert non-compliant wastewater onsite for retreatment if needed.

Earlier, another poultry processor, Mountaire, settled a class action suit over its wastewater operations for $65 million.

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