Idaho Rivers United is turning the screws on Ada County to fix what they say is an illegal discharge of stormwater at Expo Idaho.
In a complaint filed to Ada County Commissioners Wednesday, the conservationist group alleges the county is in violation of the Clean Water Act. Its target is Expo Idaho and Hawk Field which drain into the Boise River without going through a treatment facility. IRU claims the county has illegally discharged stormwater for the past five years with this setup.
The Environmental Protection Agency requires such properties to have a permit for untreated discharge into rivers or lakes. In the case of Expo Idaho, IRU believes rain and snowmelt collect animal waste and other pollutants from Les Bois Park.
The complaint is a sixty day notice for the county. If nothing is done, the conservation group says it will file a lawsuit asking to stop the discharge and a $37,500 fine per day of discharges. It also claims the county is liable for violating the CWA every day it rained more than .01 inches in the last five years.
In response to the lawsuit filed by Idaho Rivers United, the Board of County Commissioners has released the following statement:
"Ada County and Ada County Development Services have been working with the EPA, and will continue to work with the EPA, regarding County property at Expo Idaho.
With respect to a notice that Idaho Rivers United has told the media it sent to Ada County, Ada County has not been provided a copy of any such notice. We would therefore refrain from commenting until we have had an opportunity to review it."
