02032017: CD Modification to add requirements related to complying with MS4 permit.
01/11/2016: This is a Supplemental referral to DOJ requesting that DOJ modify an existing Consent Decree to include injunctive relief related to compliance with its MS4 permit.
On May 27, 2013, a consent decree was entered in the federal district court of Connecticut resolving Clean Water Act violations stemming from unpermitted discharges of sewage from the City of West Haven?s sanitary collection system into New Haven Harbor and the Long Island Sound. The settlement was reached among EPA, the State of Connecticut, DOJ and the City. These discharges contain raw sewage that can carry bacteria, viruses, and other organisms that can cause life-threatening ailments. A total penalty of $125,000, which was reduced based on the City's poor financial condition and a formal 'ability to pay' analysis, will be split equally between the federal government and the State. The federal government's half of the penalty will be paid into the U.S. Treasury. Because Connecticut law allows for 'penalties' to be used to fund environmental projects, the State's half of the penalty will be paid into a fund to be used to pay for projects such as water quality planning, assessment and restoration, and greenway enhancements.