UPDATE: Church Administrator Says $1500 DNR Fine of Nazareth Lutheran Was A Mistake

Updated Friday 12:07 p.m.

Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran Church administrator Sally Young told Patch a fine issued to the church by the Department of Natural Resources was a mistake.

"We have just had a return call from DNR," she wrote in an email. "They have assured us that they have our application and that we owe no fines."

DNR representatitives did not immediately return calls asking for comment Friday.

Previous reporting:

The Department of Natural Resources has ordered in Cedar Falls to pay a $1500 fine and says the church failed to renew a permit that allows it to discharge water into a sewer system connected to Dry Run Creek.

When reached Thursday afternoon, church administrator Sally Young expressed surprise.

"It's my understanding those things have been filed," she said. "So we're not sure what the issue is. We're trying to figure that out with the DNR."

A report by the DNR says the church should have applied to renew its permit by August 29, 2011 but failed to do so.

The report says the DNR sent a renewal application form to the church in April 2011 and followed up with a phone call in May 2011. The report said in Nov. 2011 a notice of violation letter was sent to the church, but that no permit renewal application had been filed.

The DNR report says the church operates a heating and cooling system that has chillers and heat pumps. The permit authorizes the church to discharge non-contact water from that system into a sewer that discharges into Dry Run Creek. The permit expired in Feb. 2012.