California regulators say a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur and winemaker has agreed to pay $3.76 million in penalties after his company bulldozed a protected wetland and filled in a stream bed to build a vineyard in Mendocino County.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that the settlement is one of the largest ever involving water quality on the North Coast. It stems from a litany of environmental violations tied to unpermitted work by Rhys Vineyards on owner Kevin Harvey’s ranch near Laytonville.
Rhys’ lawyer said in a statement that the company “deeply regrets the mistakes made.” Harvey, a San Francisco Bay Area venture capitalist, could not be reached for comment.
Officials say the company illegally covered protected wetlands and filled in a stream bed near the North Fork Ten Mile River watershed.
Topics California
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
After Complaint, GEICO Agrees to Modify Cancellation Process That Uses AI 
Viewpoint: The AI Boom – When Risk Stops Being Rare, Insurance Must Evolve 
JPMorgan Banker Sues Ex-Colleague Over ‘Fabricated’ Sex Claims 
Comulate Loses Appeal for Injunction Against Applied Systems 
