HAZELTON, Idaho - Federal officials have fined a south-central Idaho dairy for the death of a worker who drowned in a waste pond earlier this year.
The Times-News reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued two citations to Sunrise Organic Dairy that totaled a more than $5,000 penalty.
OSHA says the employees feeding cows at various times of the day were exposed to an unguarded manure pit. It added that the dairy must put up barriers to identify the location of the manure pit.
Ruperto Vazquez-Carrera, of Hazelton, was found dead in the pond in February after someone saw his truck submerged and called police. According to authorities, the water was high because of melting snow. His body was recovered by divers.
Dairy owner Dirk Reitsma declined to comment because the OSHA investigation is still ongoing, but said he wanted to create safe condition at his dairy.
