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Cropped bottled water image via flickr user Steven Depolo. See CC license below.

published on February 25, 2020 - 11:30 AM
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A Hanford meat processor has cut a deal with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to bring its drinking water system into compliance with federal law.

The settlement between Central Valley Meat Co. and the EPA is part of an enforcement action under the Safe Drinking Water Act. It will require the company to provide bottled water to its workforce of about 280 people. It must also bring the maximum arsenic contaminant levels in its groundwater under federal compliance no later than December 2022.

The facility has been serving water with arsenic levels above the standard since at least 2016, according to an EPA news release, and it has not consistently notified users of the drinking water system of the violations.

“Our goal is to protect public health and ensure Central Valley Meat Incorporated’s employees have safe drinking water at their workplace,” said John Busterud, regional administrator for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest office, in a statement. “Drinking water systems must comply and address health-based violations in a timely manner.”

EPA’s action follows separate compliance orders issued in 2009, 2015 and 2018 by the Kings County Department of Public Health to the company for violations of the arsenic standard.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral found throughout the United States that can be found in groundwater. Drinking high levels of arsenic over many years can increase the chance of lung, bladder and skin cancers, as well as heart disease, diabetes and neurological damage, according to the EPA.

Central Valley Meat Co. has agreed to submit a plan by April on how it plans to comply with the arsenic standard. Failure to meet compliance provisions in the settlement could mean penalties for the company.

The family-owned Central Valley Meat Co. acquired Harris Ranch Beef Holding Co. last year. The deal made the two companies combined the 7th largest beef packer and processor in the U.S., though they continue to operate independently.


The above image is licensed under Creative Commons.


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