EPA Fines Two Massachusetts Towns

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is fining two towns in southeastern Massachusetts, Dighton and Rehoboth, for violating the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). Each town faces a $3,000 penalty for discharging storm water into several tributaries of the Palmer and Tauton rivers without submitting an annual report essential to state and federal authorities for monitoring CWA compliance.

Many of the tributaries in question are listed on the Massachusetts impaired water bodies list, and Dighton and Rehoboth both failed to submit their first annual reports, due in 2004. The EPA requires towns permitted to discharge storm water into U.S. waters to submit an annual report evaluating the status of permit compliance by May 1 of each year.

The EPA formally requested the towns' overdue reports, but each failed to submit those due in May 2005 and May 2006, as well. Of the 278 municipalities in New England, Dighton and Rehoboth are the only two that failed to submit 2005 and 2006 reports after receiving a formal information request. As such, each has been in violation of the CWA from May 1, 2005 to April 2007, when the towns submitted their overdue reports.

Source: EPA