Allen Harim, DNREC reach settlement
Allen Harim and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control have reached agreement on a consent order settling past environmental violations at the company’s Harbeson poultry processing plant and Dagsboro hatchery.
Under the consent order, Allen Harim will have to pay a $300,000 administrative penalty, terminate all spray irrigation activities at the Dagsboro hatchery and connect the Dagsboro facility to Sussex County’s sanitary sewer system.
Besides the fines, Allen Harim must also reimburse DNREC for $7,800 in investigative expenses. The consent order also allows Allen Harim to perform an environmental improvement project within the Broadkill River watershed to improve water quality by eliminating a source of nutrient runoff. Under the order, Allen Harim can apply up to $150,000 of its fine toward the improvement project.
Globetti said Allen Harim has not yet submitted a proposed project to DNREC, but the company is likely to fund a Nature Conservancy project eliminating agricultural runoff and ground transfer of nutrients from the watershed. Globetti said the project cannot be related to Allen Harim’s Harbeson plant.
Between July and November 2016, the Harbeson plant was cited for numerous violations of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for ammonia, phosphorus, total suspended solids and bacteria. DNREC issued penalties and Secretary Shawn Garvin issued an order for Allen Harim to address the violations. According to DNREC, upgrades at the facility have enabled Allen Harim to operate in compliance with discharge limits.
DNREC spokesman Michael Globetti said the upgrades included a new clarifier, pump station, dissolved oxygen blower and flow equalization basin. Improvements were also made to the offal room, which separates solids, preventing blood, meat and feathers from being sent to the wastewater treatment plant, Globetti said. He said the improvements were completed in December 2016.
Following Garvin’s order, Allen Harim and DNREC officials met to address violations at the Dagsboro hatchery, which has a permit authorizing spray irrigation of screened hatchery process wastewater under a nitrogen load limit. In 2016 and 2017, Allen Harim exceeded the load limit, and two groundwater monitoring wells showed groundwater was affected by Allen Harim’s spray irrigation operation.
Representatives from Allen Harim did not respond for comment.
