Prominent harness trainer Mark Ford has settled a four-year civil case filed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over violations of the Clean Water Act. According to the Times-Herald Record, Ford will have to pay a $200,000 fine for illegally filling wetlands and polluting waters at his training center in Orange County, New York.
The complaint, filed in 2019, alleged that from 2007 to 2016, Ford destroyed existing federal wetlands and rerouted streams in the course of building a horse racing training center at 90 Slaughter Road and 482/484 Stony Ford Road.
In the consent decree, Ford admitted, acknowledged, and accepted responsibility for the violations. He will be required to create or restore 18 acres of wetlands on his property, fix two streams, and address the animal waste and wastewater on his land. The consent decree needs to be approved by a court and is subject to public comment.
Ford told the Times-Union that he hoped a judge would approve the consent decree because of the high cost of ongoing litigation. He also said he never knowingly engaged in any wrongdoing.
“This is one of the biggest travesties that has ever happened,” Ford told the Times-Union. “A lot of the things, I don't even know what they're talking about.”
Named Trainer of the Year by the United States Harness Writers' Association in 2000, Ford is a director of the United States Trotting Association. A biography on the USTA website explains that Ford is the youngest trainer in history to reach milestones of $10 million, $20 million, $30 million, $40 million, $50 million and $60 million in career earnings. He is also the only trainer to have won a pair of million-dollar races before his 30th birthday.
Ford trained 2000 Horse of the Year Gallo Blue Chip along with millionaires Whosurboy, Turnpike Token, Armbro Animate, Stonebridge Kisses and Self Professed, top performer On The Attack and double-gaited world champion Six Day War. Ford has won training titles at both Meadowlands Racetrack and Yonkers Raceway. He races one of the largest stables in North America and is continually one of the top competitors at Yonkers Raceway, Meadowlands Racetrack, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and the Woodbine Entertainment Group for some of the sport's top owners. In 2015, he became president of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey.
Read more at the Times-Herald Record.
The post Prominent Harness Trainer Fined $200,000 For Violations Of Clean Water Act At New York Training Center appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
