Massachusetts Construction Company Fined for Storm Water Violations

A Massachusetts developer constructing a 17-acre residential development will pay a $5,000 penalty for discharging polluted storm water from its Auburn, Mass., construction site.

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspection determined that the Revane Development Co. Inc. has discharged storm water containing pollutants from the Bryn Mawr Estates Development in Auburn since construction began in August 2004, without proper authorization. The EPA alleged 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 and created problems on neighboring residential properties. 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.

The company has now obtained coverage under the Construction General Permit and developed a storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP), which describes the best management practices that the company will undertake in order minimize erosion and sediment runoff from the site.

Construction activities that disturb one acre or more are regulated under the NPDES storm water program. In Massachusetts, operators of regulated construction sites are required to develop and implement SWPPPs and obtain permit coverage from the EPA prior to commencement of construction activity.

Source: U.S. EPA