Allen Harim plant cited for environmental violations

Allen Harim’s Harbeson chicken plant appeared  to be operating normally Feb. 17 as workers came and went into the plant.

The calmness belied reports that the plant had been shut down Feb. 14 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture due to unsanitary conditions. Officials from USDA were not available for comment Feb. 17,  and officials from Allen Harim did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Allen Harim’s wastewater plant has been cited for environmental violations in the past, at both the Harbeson plant and the company’s Dagsboro hatchery. 

In November 2018, Allen Harim was fined $300,000 by Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and had to terminate spray irrigation activities in Dagsboro. The penalties stemmed from numerous violations of the company’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit from July to November 2016. 

The company’s environmental history has been cited by citizen activists in opposition to a plan for Allen Harim to pump treated wastewater to Artesian’s Sussex Regional Recharge Facility at the corner of Route 30 and Route 16 for spray irrigation. RYAN MAVITY PHOTO