THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996 TAG: 9610250586
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: 38 lines
Smithfield Foods Inc. has come under renewed environmental scrutiny following another large release of fecal bacteria into the Pagan River.
State officials said the latest problem was caused by a combination of equipment failure and heavy rain, which sent additional waste water into the company's already stressed treatment plant.
Three state inspectors were sent Wednesday to the Isle of Wight County meatpacker, and another team that includes an assistant attorney general also will be dispatched.
The activity comes during a week when the federal government demanded $3.5 million from the company for alleged illegal discharges or face a lawsuit. And on Tuesday, a former Smithfield manager pleaded guilty in federal court to polluting the river and trying to cover it up.
``The DEQ will do everything possible to assure that Smithfield does not further pollute the Pagan,'' said Thomas Hopkins, director of the state Department of Environmental Quality.
If necessary, Hopkins said, the agency will inspect the company every week until it stops releasing waste into the river and starts sending it to a regional sewage system next spring.
Aaron Trub, Smithfield Foods' vice president, did not return a phone call to his office Thursday.
The latest inspections were triggered by test results that showed waste water from Smithfield's meatpacking plant contained illegally high levels of fecal bacteria on Oct. 14, DEQ officials said.
Fecal bacteria usually do not pose problems for fish and wildlife. The bacteria, which arise from hog-slaughtering waste, can pose a potential risk for swimmers. The bacteria release represented the company's 61st pollution violation since August 1994, DEQ officials said.
KEYWORDS: WATER POLLUTION SMITHFIELD FOODS INC. by CNB