St. Catharines Ontario, Canada 7/26/2004
Nutram Pet Products Ltd. has been fined $7,500 ? plus a victim fine surcharge – after pleading guilty to one count under the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA).

Nutram Pet Products Ltd., a subsidiary of Maple Lodge Holdings Corporation, operates an animal feed production plant on Bartlett Road in the Township of West Lincoln, Ontario. The Court heard that Provincial Officer Orders were issued by Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to the company following inspections which took place in 2001 and 2002. During these inspections, MOE found odorous, sewage-like material being discharged from plant catch basins into a roadside ditch. One of the Orders required Nutram Pet Products Ltd. to take all necessary action to prevent any further off-site, unapproved discharge of sewage from the catch basins to the roadside ditch. The company failed to fully satisfy this requirement.

By failing to comply with a Provincial Officer Order, Nutram Pet Products Ltd. violated Section 107(2) of the OWRA. The company pleaded guilty to the single breach, and was fined $7,500 and given 30 days to pay the fine. In May, 2003, Nutram Pet Products Ltd. satisfactorily addressed the deficiencies that led to this charge.

Justice of the Peace Moira A. Moses accepted the guilty plea and fined the company on July 16, 2004 in the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines.

Contacts: John Steele
Communications Branch
(416) 314-6666
Ministry of the Environment