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News Releases from Region 03

CLEAN WATER ACT SETTLEMENT WITH PIKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF CLUB PROTECTS WETLANDS IN MORGANTOWN, WV

01/10/2017
Contact Information: 
David Sternberg (sternberg.david@epa.gov)
215-814-5548

Contact: David Sternberg 215-814-5548 sternberg.david@epa.gov

 CLEAN WATER ACT SETTLEMENT WITH PIKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF CLUB PROTECTS WETLANDS IN MORGANTOWN, WV

PHILADELPHIA (January 10, 2017) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice announced today that the owners and operators of the Pikewood National Golf Club in Morgantown, WV, have settled alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to the unpermitted filling of wetlands and waterways.  

Under a proposed consent decree filed in federal court in Wheeling, WV, the club owners and operators -- Pikewood, Inc., Deckers Creek Limestone Co., and Greer Industries, Inc. -- have agreed to restore approximately 6,400 linear feet of stream at the golf course. The defendants have also agreed to complete substantial additional wetlands mitigation work on property at or near the golf course.

In addition, the companies have agreed to pay a $1.8 million penalty to be divided equally between the U.S. and West Virginia to settle claims that the defendants illegally filled and altered streams and wetlands during construction of the Pikewood National Golf Course. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is a co-plaintiff.

“Wetlands serve essential ecological functions that protect sources of drinking water and our communities as well as natural habitat,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “This settlement underscores EPA’s commitment to holding those who do not act in accordance with our nation’s laws that protect these vital resources accountable for their actions.”

In a complaint filed along with the proposed settlement, EPA and West Virginia alleged that the defendants filled and altered the waters and wetlands on the property without first obtaining a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers as required by the Clean Water Act. The violations impacted Laurel Run which flows to Deckers Creek, a tributary of the Monongahela River.

Natural wetlands are vital to protecting the integrity of our rivers and estuaries, and help to protect the health and safety of people and their communities by providing a natural filtration system for pollution before it gets into our rivers, lakes and ponds, and by preventing flooding after storms. Small streams and wetlands form the source of the nation’s fresh waters, and changes that degrade headwaters systems can affect other rivers and lakes downstream. Wetlands also provide valuable wildlife habitat, offering breeding and feeding grounds for a broad array of fish, birds and other wildlife.

The requirement to obtain a wetlands permit assures the protection of these important natural resources, and preserves their environmental, recreational, and economic functions. For more information about Clean Water Act protection of wetlands and waterways, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/

The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.