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 to a 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 report here.
