A Whatcom County farmer was fined $6,750 for dumping animal waste into Anderson Creek for at least 12 hours in May 2018, killing hundreds of fish.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of the General Counsel assessed $7,500 in civil penalties against Harold Carbee last month, but NOAA and Carbee settled the case for a lesser penalty. NOAA announced the settlement Tuesday.
A local citizen originally reported the spill, prompting a multi-agency investigation. Investigators found more than 300 dead fish, including 89 threated steelhead smolts, coho salmon and other species. The affected area included nine steelhead nests.
Anderson Creek flows into the Nooksack River, which is a drinking water source for the city of Lynden. About $9 million has been funneled into Anderson Creek restoration projects, including two new bridge crossings to improve steelhead passage.
