Capital Press reports:
An Oregon rancher was ordered to pay $13,700 to the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) for filing a “frivolous” lawsuit against the agency, according to a federal judge ruling.
The ruling stated that ODA is entitled to collect attorney fees from rancher William Holdner, who filed a complaint claiming he was not subject to state water quality regulations.
Holdner, who had been running approximately 500 cow/calf pairs, was repeatedly cited by ODA for pollution violations on his property. He was convicted on water pollution charges in 2012 and sentenced to five days in jail and $300,000 in penalties.
In response, he claimed to be exempt from state and federal water regulations, arguing that ODA had abused its power in regulating his operation under the Clean Water Act.
Because the complaint was “frivolous, unreasonable or without foundation,” ODA’s attorneys are entitled to recover their fees, the judge said.
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Source: Capital Press
