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White City rancher gets food-waste fine slashed Friday Apr 7, 2017 at 5:05 PM Apr 7, 2017 at 5:05 PM Mark Freeman Mail Tribune @MTwriterFreeman A White City-area rancher whose attempt to feed food waste from Amy's Kitchen and Tree Top to his cattle went awry has had his civil fine for operating an illegal dump cut by 93 percent. The state Department of Environmental Quality shaved Clay Charley's fine from $19,200 to $1,500 in part because DEQ could not disprove his claims that 150 cubic yards of the food products were dumped at his Glass Lane ranch without his authorization, according to the agency. DEQ also took into account Charley's intent to feed the food waste to his cattle and use it to fertilize his soil, a "beneficial use" of industrial food waste encouraged by the agency. Charley accepted the reduced fine last week, DEQ spokeswoman Katherine Benenati said. Charley, 64, did not return telephone calls seeking comment. Charley had brokered a deal with a now-defunct firm called Blue Sky Trucking to accept large loads of food waste from the two processors to feed his cattle, according to a DEQ investigation. However, too much waste was dumped for his cattle to consume, and he also received thousands of peach pits not considered cattle food. Complaints led to a DEQ investigation, and Charley was fined in December, while Tree Top and Amy's Kitchen received warnings. Charley previously told the Mail Tribune that five 30-cubic-yard truckloads of food waste were dumped by Blue Sky without his authorization. It was more than his cattle could handle, and that waste became the focal point of the illegal dump investigation. Charley echoed that during a March 2 meeting with DEQ in Medford, Benenati said. Benenati said DEQ officials attempted and failed to reach Blue Sky or its operators, who investigators earlier said likely have left the state. Attempts by the Mail Tribune to find them also were unsuccessful. — Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman.