distributed

“There’s no telling how many lives would be tragically cut short and how many communities would have been devastated had these drugs been distributed,” Bonta said.

The group has dispatched crews to assess damage to homes and distributed checks between $800 to $12,000 for preliminary repairs and rent.

Barred owls are considered a top threat to northern spotted owls, which are scarce but widely distributed in Northern California, Oregon and Washington.

"I bow my head in gratitude to the people of this nation," he said in a statement distributed by his lawyers following his release.

Claims that sediment would be distributed many kilometres from the mining area were "total nonsense", says Mr Barron.