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Massachusetts Construction Company Faces Fines for Clean Water Violations

Release Date: 01/08/2008
Contact Information: Jeanethe Falvey, (617) 918-1020

(Boston, Mass. – Jan. 8, 2008) - A Massachusetts contractor constructing a 17-acre residential development faces a penalty of up to $157,500 for discharging polluted storm water from its Auburn, Mass. construction site without gaining proper authorization.

Upon inspection, EPA determined that the Revane Development Company, Inc. has been discharging storm water containing pollutants from the site since construction began in August 2004. The EPA complaint recently issued alleges that the company did not apply for coverage under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Storm Water Discharges from Construction Activities, as required by the federal Clean Water Act.

Storm water running off the site contains sand, dirt, sediment, suspended solids and residues of construction material. Silt and sediment in the storm water running off the site had damaged the Town’s storm water collection system. The pollutant-laden storm water discharges into catch basins both on the Site and on Town property. These basins drain into tributaries of the Blackstone River.

More Information:
Storm Water Permits (epa.gov/region1/npdes/stormwater)
Clean Water Enforcement in New England (epa.gov/region1/enforcement/water)
Storm water issues in New England (epa.gov/region1/topics/water/stormwater)