Three to pay DEC fines over violations at farms

The state Department of Environmental Conservation Region 6 reported the following consent-order agreements, with fines and corrective measures for violations of environmental conservation law, during January and February in St. Lawrence County:

■ Peter Braun and Robert Cruikshank agreed in January to pay a $10,000 fine for numerous violations at Woodcrest Dairy LLC, in the towns of Lisbon and Oswegatchie.

The violations, discovered by two DEC inspections in September 2008, relate to the farm's waste-handling processes and facilities and include failure to comply with the farm's comprehensive nutrient management plan, failure to expand waste-handling facilities before expanding farm operations, failure to protect open waste pools from outside surface drainage, allowing manure to drain into an unnamed tributary of the St. Lawrence River and failure to keep proper records relating to waste handling.

Mr. Braun and Mr. Cruikshank agreed to take numerous corrective measures within deadlines set by DEC Region 6, most within 45 days of the agreement.

■ Keith D. Pierce, Ogdensburg, agreed in January to pay a $1,000 fine for the Oswegatchie dairy farm Royal-J-Acres's violation of two previous consent-order agreements relating to the farm's failure to implement a silage leachate management system by DEC Region 6 deadlines.

In 2007, the farm was found to have violated DEC requirements relating to the discharge of pollutants into state waterways.

The new amended consent order requires the leachate treatment system be implemented in full by September.