The complaint alleged violations at eighteen facilities and the settlement requires measures to be taken to bring nine active facilities into compliance. Between 2007 and 2011, the EPA conducted numerous inspections of the Defendants' facilities to assess their compliance with their Clean Water Act permits that govern discharges into the water. Based on these inspections and requests for information sent to the Defendants, the EPA found numerous permit violations of the 2008 MSGP. The violations included failure to implement best management practices at the facilities to properly operate and maintain storm water control measures, conduct required inspections, and keep up to date stormwater pollution prevention plans as required by the general permit for stormwater discharges from industrial facilities.
The EPA reached an agreement with the Defendants to settle the companies? violations of requirements to control stormwater discharges under the Clean Water Act. As part of the settlement, the Defendants will pay a cash penalty of $360,000, implement a SEP which includes the donation of 401 acres of land. The land will be turned over to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources to manage and preserve. The land, which is located in the north Karst region of Puerto Rico at the Espinosa and Maricao Wards of the municipality of Vega Alta, is estimated to have a market value of nearly $2.4 million. The Defendants will also implement injunctive relief consisting of compre