The North Dakota Agriculture Department said a Page, ND, elevator improperly disposed of farm chemical rinsate but the details — what and how much was released — are not disclosed. And they may never be according toa report at the Bismarck Tribune.
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring confirms that his department had found an infraction by the Arthur Companies, a group of grain elevators that is family-owned by the Burgum family. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum sits on the elevator’s board of directors.
Donald Garnas, a retired Page, ND, farmer and landowner, on June 30, 2017, filed a complaint with the state agriculture and health departments after seeing a dead zone appear in the middle of a field next to the Page elevator.
“Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, the department concluded that evidence found resulted in a violation of North Dakota pesticide law,” said Tyler Kralicek, pesticide enforcement supervisor, in a March 16, 2018, letter to Garnas. “The department brought enforcement action against Arthur Company’s Elevator, Page. We cited them for a violation of state pesticide law, administrative rules,” including “improper disposal of rinsate.”
Goehring said state law prevents the department from saying whether it is a major or minor violation or what the amount of the fine might be.
Read the full reporthere.
