New lawsuit filed against Delaware poultry processor

(AP) — Another lawsuit has been filed against an Arkansas-based poultry company accused of committing wastewater violations at a Delaware processing plant.

The News Journal of Wilmington reports the lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of more than 80 people primarily focuses on groundwater nitrate contamination near Mountaire Farms’ neighbors in Sussex County. It seeks compensation and punitive damages for odors and water pollution it says is linked to near Mountaire’s “illegal and reckless disposal of waste.”

Mountaire has said elevated levels of nitrates in groundwater is a common condition in the county and predates its facility. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set the safe drinking water level for nitrates at 10 milligrams per liter. The company already faces similar lawsuits.