Three months after starting production, the new Amy's Kitchen plant has been found to be generating more wastewater than its Medford permit allows.
The Santa Rosa, Calif.-based frozen food manufacturer opened the 165,000-square-foot plant on Antelope Road in October. Measurements of wastewater taken by both the company and the city of Medford in December and January show Amy's Kitchen has gone beyond limits set by its permit.
Cory Crebbin, Medford public works director, said the plant exceeded its permit in pH levels, flow levels, biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids.
He said Amy's Kitchen is modifying pretreatment to bring the pH levels into compliance, and is applying for more capacity.
"They've been cooperative," he said.
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"We've got to carefully manage the chemistry out there," he said.
One of the measurements allows for a maximum of 30,000 gallons of discharge a day, and Amy's Kitchen discharged 43,697.
He said it's not that the discharge is thick with food product.
"It's whatever stuff they use to wash everything," said Crebbin.
Medford Public Works Department, which manages the region's wastewater treatment plant, issued a notice of violation, but the company has already begun work to fix flow problems, Crebbin said.
"It's not unusual, especially for a startup operation," said Crebbin, adding that it's difficult for new food processing plants to predict discharge.
Robert Gates, Amy's Kitchen plant engineer, said he needed clearance from the corporate headquarters in Santa Rosa before speaking with the press on the subject.
"Unfortunately I can't comment at this time," he said.
Attempts to get comments from the Santa Rosa headquarters were unsuccessful Monday.
Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail mlanders@mailtribune.com.
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