Citizens file suit against Washington dairy

The group Community Association for Restoration of the Environment, also known as CARE, says DeRuyter Brothers Dairy in Outlook should be required to obtain permits under the Clean Air Act.

YAKIMA, Wash. -- A citizens group has filed suit in federal court against a Washington state dairy, seeking to limit methanol pollution.

The methanol is emitted into the air by animal waste and silage, according to the lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Spokane.

The group Community Association for Restoration of the Environment, also known as CARE, says DeRuyter Brothers Dairy in Outlook should be required to obtain permits under the Clean Air Act.

CARE is represented by the Western Environmental Law Center of Eugene, Ore., which also sued DeRuyter and other dairies in the late 1990s for violations of the Clean Water Act. That lawsuit was settled in 2001.