THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON Local Adams band wins Natural Meats Christmas offers bison contest products PAGE
15
PAGE
westvalleyview.com
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS .............. 4
Goodyear teen promotes STEM education in Kuwait
SPORTS ........ 17 Runners participating in USATF Nationals
9 DAYS ......... 19 Looking for something to do? Check out the 9 Days a Week calendar
LETTERS ........................11 BUSINESS..................... 14 SPORTS ..........................17 FEATURES .....................20 YOUTH ...........................25 OBITUARIES .................27 CLASSIFIEDS................28 SOUTH
The Voice of the West Valley for 33 years
22
December 5, 2018
Hickman’s embroiled in ongoing federal court case By Connor Dziawura
A judge ruled in early November that Hickman’s Egg Ranch must pay a $3,000 penalty for violating ammonia emissions reporting requirements at its Tonopah and Arlington operations, according to court documents obtained by the West Valley View. However, the plaintiff, environmental nonprofit Don’t Waste Arizona, and its lawyer, Howard M. Shanker, cited errors in the decision as well as a need for an increased civil penalty in a November 14 motion for reconsideration. “The worst thing you can do is release large amounts of dangerous chemicals into a community and then not inform them when you know and it’s your job to know,” said Steve Brittle, president of Don’t Waste Arizona. Brittle called the situation “pretty serious” and said he was taken aback by the ruling including the “next to nothing” penalty. Representatives for Hickman’s Egg Ranch did not respond to the West Valley View’s request for comment on the ruling. The lawsuit has been ruminating for several years and reached a public trial without jury on October 17. Originally, the plaintiff wanted a $90 million fine to be imposed against Hickman’s for its alleged failure to properly report ammonia emissions as required by federal law, Brittle said. After recalculating the number of days Hickman’s allegedly violated reporting requirements,
In early November, a judge ruled Hickman’s Egg Ranch must pay a $3,000 penalty for violations of some ammonia emissions reporting requirements at its Tonopah and Arlington facilities over the years. But the plaintiff, Don’t Waste Arizona, is not satisfied with the extent of the ruling. (West Valley View file photo)
the plaintiff increased the figure to $264 million. The judge found a “harsh penalty” unnecessary, but Brittle thinks Hickman’s should have more culpability. Don’t Waste
Arizona is now asking the court to increase the fine to $2 million, which equates to less
Hickman...continued on page 2
ADEQ: No public health issue detected in Tonopah, Arlington By Connor Dziawura
A second round of ambient air quality monitoring in Tonopah found that levels of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide still do not exceed the state and county standard or state guidelines, according to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). However, levels of hydrogen sulfide measured at one site in Arlington did surpass those permitted by the state and coun-
ty standard. Results were submitted to the Maricopa County Air Quality District. The State of Arizona and Maricopa County Occupied Space Standard is a legally enforced standard based on odor nuisance of hydrogen sulfide. The Arizona Ambient Air Quality Guidelines (AAAQG), on the contrary, are healthbased guidelines, though surpassing ammonia or hydrogen sulfide levels permitted by these guidelines would not necessarily
indicate a health risk. AAAQG is unenforced. During the second round of testing, from June 27 through September 12, a contractor monitored four sites – two in Tonopah and two in Arlington. The sites included a residential property, a school, a county parcel and a local business, according to a technical memorandum submitted to ADEQ by
ADEQ...continued on page 3