Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region

Proposed Increase in Discharge from Sorrento Lactalis Plant

Sorrento Lactalis dairy products facility in Nampa, Idaho is proposing to increase production at the Nampa facility over the next several years. This growth in production would increase the plant’s wastewater flows from 1.2 to approximately 4.5 cubic feet per second. Sorrento has submitted an application to Reclamation to accommodate this increase in discharge from its treatment plant.

Sorrento’s wastewater flows into the Purdam Drain next to its Nampa facility. From the Purdam Drain, the discharge flows down Mason Creek to the Boise River. With the exception of a short segment immediately downstream of the Sorrento facility, this drainage route to the Boise River is under Reclamation jurisdiction.

In mid-2016, Reclamation issued a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) addressing Sorrento’s proposal pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The public and agency review process identified Sorrento was still in the process of obtaining a new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to cover the proposed increase in wastewater discharge. This permit, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), must be in place before Reclamation can proceed further in considering Sorrento’s application.

EPA issued Sorrento a new NPDES permit on April 1, 2018. Reclamation reissued the draft EA for public and agency review as part of the NEPA process on Aug. 31, 2018. The final EA and Finding of No Significant Impact was completed on March 29, 2019.

For further information, contact Richard Jackson at (208) 383-2285.