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EPA, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Coordinate Storm Water, Enforcement Actions in Charlotte, N.C.

Release Date: 05/05/2004
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) has completed Clean Water Act (CWA) compliance and enforcement actions in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. These coordinated actions, in cooperation with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, addressed violations associated with the treatment and disposal of storm water at construction sites. These violations have resulted in adverse impacts on water quality. Inspections were performed during the week of November 3, 2003, at construction sites within the Charlotte area. Each site was evaluated based upon compliance with North Carolina's General Permit for Storm Water Point Source Discharges for Construction Activities, issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program. EPA and NCDENR evaluated the facilities' impact on the receiving streams and their compliance with the federal and state storm water regulations. As a part of this effort, EPA, in cooperation with NCDENR, has issued either an Administrative Order (AO) or a Notice of Violations (NOV) to each of the facilities. The Administrative Order requires the installation and/or maintenance of Best Management Practices (BMPs) throughout the sites. An NOV is a letter stating EPA is aware of violations and warns of formal enforcement actions if they are not corrected. The facilities include: Administrative Orders Wal-Mart Progressive Development Partners of Sardis, LLC Centex Homes Buckleigh Subdivision Beazer Homes Monteith Place Greene Croft Subdivision John Wieland Homes Brookhaven Notice of Violations Beazer Homes Dilworth Chase John Wieland Homes Skybrook-Phase (7) Ryland Homes Brandon Oaks Storm water runoff as a result of construction activities can have a significant impact on water quality, contributing sediment and other pollutants exposed at construction sites. Polluted storm water runoff is a leading cause of impairment to the nearly 40 percent of surveyed U.S. water bodies which do not meet water quality standards. Over land or via storm sewer systems, polluted runoff is discharged, often untreated, directly into local water bodies. When left uncontrolled, this water pollution can result in the destruction of fish, wildlife, and aquatic life habitats; a loss in aesthetic value; and threats to public health due to contaminated food, drinking water supplies, and recreational waterways. Mandated by Congress under the Clean Water Act, the NPDES Storm Water Program is a comprehensive two-phased national program for addressing the non-agricultural sources of storm water discharges, which adversely affect the quality of our nation's waters. The Program uses the NPDES permitting mechanism to require the implementation of controls designed to prevent harmful pollutants from being washed by storm water runoff into local water bodies.