BOSTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to settle with Pan Am Railways over allegations that the rail company violated the Clean Water Act, according to a press release.
Pan Am will pay a $152,000 fine, noted the release. The proposed violations occurred at facilities in Waterville, Maine, and East Deerfield, Massachusetts.
At the Maine location, the EPA accused Pan Am of violating its stormwater discharge permit and federal Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations, stated the release. Debris piles were not properly controlled, and oil staining existed throughout the site.
Pan Am’s Massachusetts facility was found to be out of compliance with its NPDES permit related to stormwater management, reported the release. The EPA claimed the railroad did not conduct stormwater inspections in 2011 or 2012, and it did not implement a Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure plan to avoid oil spills.
In addition to the financial penalty, Pan Am will undertake an Environmental Culture Assessment to implement action plans for five of its New England facilities, shared the release. The goal is to reduce rail operation’s environmental impact.
Stormwater runoff has the potential to impair water quality, noted the release. If uncontrolled, it can flow into waterways and cause river siltation, beach closings, fishing restrictions and habitat degradation.
Click here to read the entire release.
