It was announced on July 20th that Monterey Mushrooms, one of the largest mushroom growers in the US, has agreed to pay $1.2 million in a settlement over charges that the company discharged industrial waste into waters that reached the Elkhorn Slough.
In a statement, Monterey Mushrooms said the following:
"Monterey Mushrooms has a long history of being a responsible member of the community and is committed to the highest standards of environmental compliance.
Our company is pleased that we and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board - Central Coast Region have been able to bring closure with this agreement. This settlement includes monies for a Supplemental Environmental Project that will provide clean drinking water to 20 families, and ensures funds remain available for continued site improvements and implementation of wastewater improvement processes.
This dialogue and settlement stems from the deluge of catastrophic winter storms of late 2016 and early 2017, the same time Coyote Creek overflowed and flooded areas within Santa Clara County, and the same timeframe that the Oroville Dam crisis occurred.
Our farms in Monterey County were inundated by these record storms and rainwater volume, during the events alleged. To ensure no further issues, the company collaborated with county and state agents and spent millions of dollars in facility improvements, as well as engineering the separation of stormwater and process water. Monterey Mushrooms intends to continue to work cooperatively with the Regional Board and county and state agents in the future."
For more information:
Bruce Knobeloch
Monterey Mushrooms, Inc.
Tel: +1 (831) 763-5300
Email: bknobeloch@montmush.com
www.montereymushrooms.com