U.S. EPA Fines Massachusetts City

The city of Malden, Mass., has been fined for violating the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). Malden paid a penalty of $10,000 for discharging storm water into several tributaries of the Pines and Mystic rivers, both of which flow into the Atlantic Ocean, without submitting an annual report that is essential for state and federal authorities to monitor compliance with the CWA.

The city also failed to respond to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) information request requiring that it submit its overdue 2006 report within 30 days. Ultimately, the city submitted its overdue 2006 and 2007 reports in response to an EPA administrative order. Cities and towns permitted to discharge storm water to U.S. waters are required to submit an annual report evaluating the status of permit compliance by May 1 each year.

EPA New England has taken a series of enforcement actions to enforce requirements of the general permit for storm water discharges from small municipal separate storm sewer systems. A number of municipalities have paid penalties for violating their permits.

Source: U.S. EPA