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Anchorage, Alaska Developer Faces Fines for Clean Water Act Violations

Release Date: 12/18/2007
Contact Information:  Ankur Tohan, (206) 553-1796, tohan.ankur@epa.gov or Tony Brown, (206) 553-1203, brown.anthony@epa.gov

(Anchorage, Alaska – Dec. 18, 2007)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has commenced an administrative penalty action against Anthony Lerma for violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The violations occurred at Lerma’s construction site located at 5151 Lake Otis and East 52nd Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska. Under the CWA, EPA may assess administrative civil penalties within a range up to $157,500.

EPA alleges that Lerma violated the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Storm Water Construction General Permit (CGP). CGP authorization is required for discharges of storm water from any construction site with at least one acre of disturbed land.  Violations included:

•  failure to prepare and implement an adequate Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP);
•  failure to have adequate storm water control measures;
•  failure to conduct inspections; and
•  failure to properly implement stabilization measures.