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Contractor for Groton, Conn. Submarine Base Faces EPA Fine for Clean Water Violations

Release Date: 08/02/2007
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. - Aug. 2, 2007) - Two contractors for a construction site at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Conn. are liable for $17,000 in penalties for violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

The two contractors, M.A. Mortenson Co., based in Minneapolis, Minn., and Pettini Contracting Corp., based in Mystic, Conn., violated storm water discharge requirements by failing to conduct and/or document storm water inspections, failing to implement and maintain storm water controls required by the site’s storm water pollution control plan and failing to update or amend the plan as needed.

Storm water from the construction site discharges to the existing Submarine Base storm water drainage system, which eventually discharges into the Thames River.

“Controlling storm water runoff from construction sites is necessary to protect the quality our rivers, streams and lakes,” said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA's New England Office. “Simple and effective controls need to be in place at construction sites to help keep our environment healthy and clean.”

EPA regulations require a permit for construction sites that disturb more than one acre of land. The construction on the Submarine Base disturbed less than three acres. The storm water permit seeks to protect waters from harmful pollutants that typically run off such sites and discharge into nearby waters. The permit has requirements that operators of a construction site develop a detailed management plan for mitigating the effects of storm water runoff.

Contractors, developers and others who are responsible for day-to-day operations at a construction site are required to certify that they will properly implement these plans, called storm water pollution prevention plans. The permit also requires personnel who are on the sites to perform regular inspections of storm water controls and to employ management techniques that will minimize the impact of their activities on nearby waters.

More Information:

EPA's Clean Water Enforcement in New England (epa.gov/region1/enforcement/water)

Storm water issues in New England (epa.gov/region1/topics/water/stormwater)