BELLINGHAM, WA - A Washington berry grower was fined a total of $102,000 for two separate offenses by the Washington Department of Ecology.
Gurjant “George” Sandhu, who owns several berry farms in Whatcom County, was allegedly fined by the department for illegally watering raspberries and failing to submit required water use records, according to a press release.
Seen as actions that negatively impact legal water users and flows in the Nooksack River basin, Sandhu was fined $90,000 for illegally irrigating a 220-acre raspberry farm and a $12,000 penalty for not submitting water use records for a 120-acre blueberry farm.
The department noted in the release that the region in which Sandhu grows, the Nooksack River watershed, is one of six basins considered critical for providing habitat for threatened migratory fish in Washington.
“Many farmers in Whatcom County have worked hard and made investments to obtain legal water rights,” the Washington Department of Ecology stated in the release. “Ecology is working to ensure a level playing field.”
The report notes that the grower irrigated a raspberry farm for at least two years without approved water rights for most of the property, and that he separately failed to submit accurate water use data at his blueberry farm, despite being required to do so by an earlier settlement for illegal water use.
Ecology noted a series of events, including a cease and desist order issued last March, requests for real meter data that were not received, and attempts to help bring the farm into compliance before applying the fines.
Sandhu can appeal the penalties within 30 days to the Pollution Control Hearings Board.
Illegal water use was listed as negatively affecting not only Nooksack River flows, but those acting within their legal water rights.
