Former Yakima Dairy Owner Settles Federal Suit

The former owner of a Yakima area dairy farm has agreed to pay $20,000 to a drinking water project to settle a federal lawsuit.  According to the Yakima Herald Republic a federal judge signed off last month on the settlement that requires the money from the former operator of Snipes Mountain Dairy to go to the water project operated by the local CARE organization.  CARE and Friends of Toppenish Creek sued the dairy in Outlook in April 2017, claiming it violated the Clean Water Act for discharging effluent into streams and the Yakima River.

The former dairy operator has denied any wrongdoing.

The water project provides free testing of rural domestic wells in areas near dairies and concentrated animal feeding operations.

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