Companies should face consequences for pollution: Editorial

Some Sussex County residents are unable to trust the water coming out of their taps after Mountaire’s egregious mismanagement of wastewater containing chicken and human excrement.

Read the story:Mountaire fires wastewater staff over well pollution in Sussex County

The poultry company had a permit to spray that wastewater onto agricultural fields. It was supposed to be pumping that water into a lagoon first, so bacteria could eat away at it before application. Instead, wastewater was being poured directly out onto the fields.

That meant the waste was far too concentrated with pollutants like nitrate, which can lead to decreased blood pressure, cramps, vomiting and possibly death, and fecal coliform, which carries pathogens that can cause ear infections, dysentery and typhoid fever.

Water with 5,500 times the allowable limit of fecal coliform and 4,200 times the nitrates was getting dumped on the fields, where it entered the groundwater and likely contaminated area wells. 

The spraying also potentially worsened pollution levels in Indian River, Swan Creek and Delaware's inland bays, harming aquatic life and making swimming dangerous. 

To their credit, Mountaire leaders seem to understand the gravity of the problem. The company has fired the employees responsible for the lapse and brought in outside experts to fix the problem. Fecal coliform levels are now back within regulatory limits. 

While the corrective actions are appreciated, they don’t negate the damage done. And the incident illustrates that Delaware can do better when it comes to environmental protections.

The fact is that DNREC does not have manpower to frequently and consistently inspect every possible polluter. However, once errors like this are uncovered, DNREC should be more aggressive in enforcing consequences.

DNREC sanctioned this plant in 2010 and has known about problems since 2015 without serious sanctions. DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin has the power to impose $10,000-a-day fines, yet such punishments are rarely used.

It isn’t just Mountaire. The Delaware City Refinery has faced little more than a slap on the wrist for numerous releases of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. International Petroleum Corp. near Wilmington also was able to get away with polluting water for 25 years.  

If DNREC made examples out of a few polluters, perhaps industry would place a higher premium on environmental protection and ensure best practices are followed.

The poultry industry is a major economic engine for Sussex County and the whole state. We can't shackle it with overly onerous regulations.

We do, however, have a responsibility to protect its neighbors from harm.

Delaware ought to be a place where businesses feel welcome. But Delaware should also be a state where businesses who damage our air, earth and water face serious consequences.

The News Journal's editorial opinions are decided by its editorial board, which is separate from the news staff.