POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY (KSNT) - A Pottawatomie County farm has reached a settlement agreement with federal regulators over allegations its cattle operation polluted local waterways. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in a press release on Jan. 17 that Wickstrum Farms Inc. and Wickstrum Cattle LLC will pay a combined $70,000 in civil penalties. The EPA alleged the business violated the Clean Water Act (CWA). The agency accused the cattle feedlot operators of failing to comply with multiple CWA permit requirements which resulted in the discharge of pollution into local streams. “Unauthorized pollution discharges threaten the health of our nation’s waters and public use and enjoyment of those waters,” said EPA Region 7 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Director David Cozad. “This settlement demonstrates EPA’s commitment to protecting watersheds and creating a level playing field for businesses who are complying with the law.” One dead after semi-truck crashes into bridge pillar on I-70 in Shawnee County The EPA claimed the company's facilities housed more than 9,800 head of cattle. During a 2023 inspection, EPA inspectors allegedly located "uncontrolled discharges from the feedlots" connecting to tributaries of Pleasant Run Creek. The EPA said the operators have since built additional runoff controls which addressed the causes of the discharges. "Pollution associated with manure, feed, and other animal waste runoff may include nutrients (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus), organic matter, solids, pathogens, and odorous/volatile compounds." EPA press release excerpt The CWA requires animal feeding operations that contain threshold numbers of livestock to obtain permits and follow requirements outlined in those permits to bring down pollution runoff. People who fail to obtain a permit or who fail to follow the requirements of a permit may violate federal law. An attorney for Wickstrum told 27 News he would not comment on ongoing litigation. Hotel built in 1887 set to reopen in northeast Kansas For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf