EPA Reaches Settlement with Leavenworth, Kan., on Storm Water Violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 reached an administrative settlement with the city of Leavenworth, Kan., that requires the city to develop a plan to eliminate unlawful sewer overflows and to resolve municipal storm water violations under the Clean Water Act. As part of the settlement, the city is also required to pay a cash penalty of $46,200, and implement a Supplemental Environmental Project.

EPA investigations in November and December 2013 found unauthorized sewer overflows to local waterways and failure by the city to effectively implement a comprehensive storm water management program plan as required by its municipal separate storm sewer system permit.

To resolve the violations, under separate compliance orders with EPA, the city will develop and implement a storm water management program plan to reduce pollution into urban storm water to the maximum extent practicable by December 2016. Another compliance order requires the city to prevent and eliminate unlawful sewer overflows by December 2020. 

In addition to the $46,200 penalty, the city will complete a Supplemental Environmental Project to implement water quality upgrades as an expansion of its storm sewer project. The project is estimated to cost approximately $38,800, and will be designed to reduce erosion and pollutants, and capture and filter runoff from adjacent roadways prior to its discharge into the stream.

Municipalities play a key role in protecting local waterways by preventing storm water from washing harmful pollutants into streams and rivers. Effective municipal storm water programs inform and involve the public in storm water pollution prevention efforts, and prohibit illegal discharges of pollutants in storm water.

Urbanized areas contain large portions of impervious surfaces such as roads, rooftops and parking lots that channel storm water directly into local streams, rivers, and other water bodies. Improperly managed storm water runoff from urbanized areas can damage streams, cause significant erosion and carry excessive nutrients, sediment, toxic metals, volatile organic compounds and other pollutants downstream.

Source: EPA