BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Cheese producer Sorrento Lactalis Inc. has agreed to pay a $315 ,000 penalty for violating its wastewater permit at its factory in Nampa.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced the agreement Wednesday.

EPA officials say the company repeatedly violated its permit between 2005 and September 2008. Investigators say the company exceeded its monthly and daily limits for discharging solids and other byproducts and failing to notify the EPA in a timely manner.

Sorrento's permit allows it to discharge 650,000 gallons of processed wastewater daily into Mason Creek, a Boise River tributary.

The discharges came from the company's wastewater facility, which is separate from its cheese production plant.

Sorrento attorney David Chambers says the company has also installed additional equipment and boosted monitoring and testing programs in the wake of the investigation.

Copyright 2010 The AP.