State regulators have fined a Jones County hog farmer after they say he discharged nearly a million gallons of hog waste into nearby woods.

The Department of Environmental Quality says the spill was discovered on August 31st at Lanier Farms TCB Inc. They have fined Lanier Farms $64,072 for the spill.

State investigators estimated that 987,440 gallons of hog waste was illegally discharged at the farm near Comfort. The hog waste eventually made its way into a tributary of the Trent River about a mile and a half away.

At the time, state investigators warned people over the Labor Day weekend to avoid contact with water in the Trent River because of the spill.

Lanier, which has previous environmental citations in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2015, has 30 days to either pay the fine, file an appeal, or request a reduction in the penalty.