Tyson Foods Opens Wastewater Plant
On July 13, Springdale’s Tyson Foods Inc. dedicated a new wastewater treatment plant at its Berlin, Md., processing facility. The facility uses an innovative new technology developed by Ocean Arks International of Burlington, Vt.
Ocean Arks’ “Restorer Living Machine” is a biological treatment that uses various microorganisms, plants and vertebrates as a part of the wastewater treatment process. Construction is currently under way, and once the system is on line, it will treat approximately 1 million gallons of water per day that is used by Tyson.
Once treated, the water is discharged into Kits Branch, and it ultimately runs to the Atlantic Ocean.
Tyson is installing the technology as the result of a consent decree between the company and the state of Maryland. The poultry producer became the owner of the Maryland facility when it acquired Hudson Foods in 1998.
In addition to the new wastewater treatment plant, Tyson gave The Nature Conservancy of Maryland/D.C. $20,000 and the deed to nearly 100 acres of land in Wicomico County. That property is adjacent to the conservancy’s Nassawango Creek Preserve.