# Twin Falls Fish Farm Settles EPA Water Pollution Case

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/01/twin-falls-fish-farm-epa-settlement/
- Published: 2014-01-12T03:22:56-05:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

**Twin Falls fish farm EPA settlement** addressed repeated Clean Water Act permit
violations at an Idaho aquaculture facility discharging to the Snake River.

## EPA Cited Hundreds of Permit Violations

(Twin Falls, ID – December 3, 2013) A Twin Falls commercial fish and frog farm has
settled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for repeatedly violating the
Clean Water Act and polluting the Snake River in South-central Idaho.

McCollum Enterprises, Limited Partnership, operates the aquaculture facility known
as the Canyon Springs Fish Farm located near Twin Falls, Idaho. The facility raises
Tilapia and American Bullfrogs commercially, supplying fish markets and wholesalers
with fresh fish and frogs across the Northwest. From June 2008 to March 2012, EPA
identified over 550 violations of the facility’s discharge permit, including numerous
releases of phosphorus-laden wastewater. To settle the violations, McCollum Enterprises
has agreed to pay a $25,000 penalty. Outside of the settlement, the company has 
also invested in facility improvements that have significantly reduced fish mortalities
and phosphorus pollution to the Snake River.

“The Snake River is a vital economic and environmental resource for Idaho,” said
Ed Kowalski, Director of EPA’s office of Compliance and Enforcement in Seattle. “
It’s essential for these aquaculture facilities that Idaho waters are protected.
Enforcing discharge limits is one of the Clean Water Act’s cornerstones and plays
a pivotal role in safeguarding both water quality and public health.“

EPA’s enforcement action is especially important since Snake River does not meet
Idaho’s standards for both total phosphorus and total suspended solids. Concentrated
fish wastes from aquaculture facilities can cause pollution problems by increasing
turbidity (cloudiness) of streams and rivers, decreasing oxygen in water, promoting
nuisance algae growth and even causing fish kills.

Idaho aquaculture facilities are covered by the NPDES Idaho Aquaculture General 
Permit. This Clean Water Act permit specifies under what conditions a facility can
discharge pollutants into a [river or stream to minimize impacts](https://greenlivingguy.com/2024/05/environmental-impact-of-oilfield-wastewater-disposal-in-the-texas-pecos-river-basin/)
to water quality or people’s health.

For more about EPA’s NPDES Program: [http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/](http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/)

For more about the Idaho Aquaculture General Permit, visit: [http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/WATER.NSF/NPDES+Permits/General+NPDES+Permits](http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/WATER.NSF/NPDES+Permits/General+NPDES+Permits)

Related: [why stronger clean-water protections matter](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/01/what-the-west-virginia-chemical-spill-teaches-us-about-clean-water/).

## Aquaculture Still Has Water-Quality Responsibilities

Fish farms depend on clean water, but concentrated waste and nutrients can also 
affect downstream conditions. Discharge permits are designed to control those impacts.

For more water-protection coverage, see our [clean-water protection article](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/01/what-the-west-virginia-chemical-spill-teaches-us-about-clean-water/).

## Conclusion

The settlement underscored a basic principle: food production does not sit outside
environmental regulation. Aquaculture facilities still have to manage wastewater
and protect receiving waters.

Source: U.S. EPA enforcement information in the original release.

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 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
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