MANDAN (AP) -- A Mandan cheese plant is shut down after a history of waste water discharge violations.
The City Commission has suspended the wastewater discharge permit for Dakota Country Cheese Inc. Officials say a January inspection found a dozen violations and many were the same ones found last May.
The violations included allegations of falsifying records, inadequate storage of chemicals and failure to meet water discharge permit requirements set by the city.
City Finance Director Greg Welch said the company owes the city $24,249 for waste water charges and nearly $9,000 on its water bill. The city commission wants those debts repaid before water services are restored.
Wastewater plant Superintendent Steve Himmelspach says cheese plant owner Virgil Johnson and other family members are working to restore their permit and services.
