The company discharged warm water and some wastewater from a mint still that is toxic to fish.
Warm water is known to damage fish habitat and harm the fish themselves.
In addition, evidence shows that the water used to extract mint oil in a mint still is toxic to fish. Ecology received a complaint in August 1996 that fish were dying in Sand Hollow Creek because of a discharge of water from the mint still. Ecology investigated that complaint, but the still had stopped operating for the season at that time. Penalties of this sort are always a last resort, but protecting Washington's surface waters is our first concern. The violations that led to this penalty involve wastewater discharges from the mint still that were documented on July 15 and Sept. 23, 1997.