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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Month Day, Year
MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff
Vansteenburg at 641-424-4073 or Jeff.Vansteenburg@dnr.iowa.gov.
EAGLE GROVE–On Thursday, DNR traced a
green color and ammonia in a Wright County drainage ditch to an egg laying
facility about four miles south of Eagle Grove.
Field staff from the DNR’s Mason City
office found wastewater from Daybreak Foods Inc. had been land applied on a
field just before a heavy rainfall. Saturated soils likely caused a tile outlet
below the field to begin discharging algae-laden water.
Daybreak Foods plugged the tile line
to prevent further runoff.
The two-day investigation followed complaints
received late Wednesday. DNR found elevated ammonia levels and green color in
about two miles of the drainage ditch, but no dead fish.
DNR staff collected water samples in
the ditch and river for laboratory testing, but field tests showed ammonia
levels did not appear elevated in the Boone River downstream.
DNR will monitor cleanup efforts and
consider appropriate enforcement action.
Daybreak Foods Inc. holds a DNR
wastewater permit which specifies conditions for land applying liquids from an
egg wash water lagoon.
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