For Duarte, the unthinkable began in early 2013 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) presented him with a “Cease and Desist” Order (CDO) against him and and Duarte Nursery alleging that the act of plowing his field was an illegal “discharge of dredged or fill material.” (Premium Wine Executive News subscribers can obtain the full Cease and Desist Order letter at this link.)Further, the CoE order claimed that Duarte’s illegal discharge was under their jurisdiction because his wheat field was part of the “waters of the United States.”
Source: Plow Field, Go To Jail? Feds Threaten John Duarte. He Slugs Back | Wine Industry Insight
