WASHINGTON – Carl Simon, a dairy farmer from Farley, Iowa, was arrested April 12 and charged the next day with violating the Clean Water Act by discharging hazardous waste.
The charges. The charges allege that since 1998, Simon received several notices of violation from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for discharging manure and other agricultural waste into Hogan’s Branch Creek, a tributary to the Mississippi River.
Despite these notices, Simon allegedly built a drainage ditch from a manure lagoon to a ledge directly over Hogan’s Branch Creek.
Discharging manure into surface waters can harm fish and other wildlife and can make the waters unsuitable for drinking water and recreational purposes.
Investigators. The case was investigated by the St. Louis Area Office of EPA’s Criminal Investigations Division, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Iowa.
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