For Release: Wednesday, September 26, 2007
DEC Fines Archmont Inc. for Stormwater & Water Quality Violations
Company to pay $85,000 in Penalties
Archmont Inc. has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and an additional $35,000 to fund a local environmental benefit project in the town of Colonie, to settle water quality and stormwater violations at a construction site, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 4 Director Gene Kelly announced today.
On several occasions during the first seven months of this year, Archmont Inc., a Rensselaer construction company, was responsible for causing turbidity in the Dry River, a tributary of the Hudson River, at a subdivision building site in Colonie. Causing turbidity in a stream is a water quality violation under the Clean Water Act. Additionally, Archmont violated its stormwater pollution prevention plan by not adequately controlling erosion and sedimentation at their construction site.
"The quality of our region's waterbodies depends upon the strict adherence to stormwater regulations," Kelly said. "We want to send a clear message to the construction community that stormwater regulations will be strictly enforced by both the department and by the regulated municipalities. We would like to commend the town of Colonie for their efforts in developing and implementing their stormwater program."
Colonie Stormwater Management Coordinator John Dzialo said: "The town of Colonie would like to thank DEC for their assistance and support with the implementation and enforcement of our stormwater program. We feel it is critical to the success of our program to show a strong partnership with DEC as well as neighboring municipalities."
Under US Environmental Protection Agency regulations and DEC policy, DEC can require a respondent to fund so called environmental benefit projects (EBP) as part of a civil settlement -- either at an offending facility or in the surrounding area -- that partially compensates for the environmental insult associated with an alleged violation. In this case, the funds will be deposited into an escrow account to be used for an EBP project within Colonie at a location to be determined.
