Delaware cites Mountaire Farms for waste treatment violations

Delaware has issued a notice of violation to Mountaire Farms for failing to comply with regulations governing its systems for wastewater treatment and land treatment of waste at the company’s poultry processing plant in Millsboro. Mountaire contacted the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on Sept. 6 to report “significant permit exceedances at the facility, including very high levels of fecal coliform and high levels of total nitrogen, total suspended solids, and biological oxygen,” the department said.The state said it directed the company to take immediate actions including reducing the amount of acreage used for spray irrigation and collecting more frequent effluent samples. The state said it is working with Mountaire to develop and implement immediate and long-term actions to bring the facility into compliance with permit limitations.