MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) — Dakota Pork Industries could face a $50,000 fine for tampering with equipment that monitored wastewater at its Mitchell plant, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
The company's chief executive officer, Carl Kuehne, signed an admission on Dec. 27 saying he knew his employees had tampered with a monitoring device. The admission accompanied a sealed plea agreement that was filed Monday in federal court in Sioux Falls.
U.S. Attorney Marty Jackley said lawyers from both sides have entered into a joint recommendation that calls for a $50,000 fine and asks a federal judge to authorize Dakota Pork to make $175,000 restitution to the city of Mitchell, which the company has already paid.
The former ham and bacon plant, which employed up to 295 people, closed in January 2006 due to business conditions unrelated to the violations.
The plant was supposed to monitor the pH levels of its wastewater before it entered the city's treatment plant and produce reports for the city, according to court documents.
Federal prosecutors allege that when employees heard an alarm indicating pH levels outside the permissible range, they would tamper with the monitoring device by readjusting the calibration screw. Also, employees at times would remove the probe from the water and place it in a beaker of clean water or buffering solution for extended periods of time, according to court documents.
The results were recorded to falsely indicate the discharge was within allowable limits.
