Big Island Dairy Sued Over Water Pollution Concerns.
Big Island Dairy Sued Over Water Pollution Concerns.
Big Island Dairy was sued Wednesday by the Hawaii Center for Food Safety and Kupale Ookala, a group of local residents, who claim the company is polluting nearby waters with animal waste.
The lawsuit accuses the dairy of violating the federal Clean Water Act by dumping animal urine and feces in waters around Ookala, a community on the northeast coast of the Big Island.
The plaintiffs claim Big Island Dairy has polluted the waters for five years, specifically the Alaialoa, Kaohaoha and Kaula gulches, which flow to the Pacific Ocean.
The suit also claims the dairy has violated the permit by failing to test nearby waters for bacteria weekly.
It claims residents have seen workers spray wastewater on windy days, or around the time of rain, when runoff is more likely.
Its mailing address is in Idaho, according to the suit.
As of April, the dairy housed at least 2,599 animals, the suit says.
Another dairy had previously been on the same 2,500-acre site, according to the suit.