Oregon Department of Justice

The Department of Justice's Environmental Crimes Unit has opened 42 cases since its formation 16 months ago

Attorney General John Kroger today announced that a Linn County dairy that repeatedly dumped waste into a tributary of the Willamette River has pleaded guilty.

"Enforcing Oregon's environmental laws is crucial to protecting the state's water, air and natural resources," said Attorney General Kroger.

Volbeda Dairy pleaded guilty Monday in Linn County Circuit Court to 3 counts of Unlawful Water Pollution in the Second Degree. The charges stem from a series of incidents between January 2009 and May 2010 in which farm waste from the dairy was placed in a location where it was likely to escape or be carried into the waters of the state.

The dairy was fined $30,000 and sentenced to 3 years probation.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Patrick Flanagan of the Department of Justice's Environmental Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

Environmental protection is one of Attorney General Kroger's top priorities. The 2009 Oregon Legislature authorized the Department of Justice to use existing funds to create and Environmental Crimes Unit. The unit came together in late 2009 and has opened 42 investigations across the state.

Attorney General John Kroger leads the Oregon Department of Justice. The Department's mission is to fight crime and fraud, protect the environment, improve child welfare, promote a positive business climate, and defend the rights of all Oregonians.