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U.S. EPA fines GWA for spill prevention violations

Release Date: 02/13/2007
Contact Information: Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711, higuchi.dean@epa.gov

(02/13/07) HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined Guam Waterworks Authority $1,450 for oil spill prevention violations at its Fujita Pump Station in Tumon.

GWA will also need to develop a comprehensive spill prevention plan and implement procedures to prevent oil spills.

“It is critical that facilities such as GWA take the measures needed to prevent contaminating the environment,” said Norwood Scott, technical advisor for the EPA Pacific Southwest Region’s Pacific Islands Office. “Delicate coral reef ecosystems, marine species, and tourism are easily harmed by oil spills that could be prevented with proper planning and spill containment.”

In November, the EPA found that GWA failed to comply with the following federal spill prevention requirements:

• having a comprehensive spill prevention plan,

• implementing adequate facility security measures,

• having records of drainage events from diked areas, and

• testing the integrity of the petroleum tank and piping.

The company has 30 days to pay the fine and correct the violations to avoid additional penalties of up to $11,000 per day per violation.

The Fujita Pump Station is less than a quarter mile from Tumon Bay and operates an 8,000 gallon diesel above-ground storage container. GWA has identified over 90 other facilities that may be required to meet local and/or federal oil spill prevention requirements.

Oil spills and other contamination from onshore sources can pollute and harm coral and marine life. The EPA requires near shore oil storage facilities to have their spill prevention plans and measures in place to prevent oil from being discharged into the ocean.

For more information please visit www.epa.gov/oilspill.

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