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EPA Fines Crouch, Idaho developer $47,700 for construction site violations near Dry Creek, Middle Fork Payette River tributary

Release Date: 02/05/2009
Contact Information: Maria Lopez, EPA/Boise 208-378-5616, lopez.maria@epa.gov or Mark MacIntyre, EPA/Seattle 206-553-7302, macintyre.mark@epa.gov

(Boise, Idaho – February 5, 2009) Craig Frame, a developer located in Crouch, Idaho, has agreed to pay a $47,700 penalty to settle an enforcement case with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act . The alleged violations occurred at the Silverado Pines Subdivision construction site in Crouch, Idaho. EPA officials discovered the alleged violations after an inspection at the site, which discharges to Dry Creek a tributary to the Middle Fork of the Payette River.

“Failing to control construction site storm water can seriously damage Idaho’s waters,” said Jim Werntz, EPA Idaho Operations Office Director in Boise. “Idaho property owners and developers need to prepare plans, apply for the right permits in advance and carefully control site storm water to protect our rivers, lakes and streams.”

While some sediment is a natural component of all runoff, excessive sediment from sources like uncontrolled construction sites chokes fish and insects and can smother eggs and larva. Sediment can also destroy fish habitat, raise stream temperatures and hurt all aquatic life that depends on cold, clear water.

Developers and general contractors are required to obtain coverage under EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Storm Water Discharges from Construction Activities, also known as the Construction General Permit. A permit is required when activities at a construction site (of more than one acre) will result in a discharge to waters of the U.S. The alleged violations in this case included a failure to apply for a permit and discharging without a permit.

According to EPA officials, many of Idaho’s lakes, rivers, and streams are listed as “impaired” or not meeting water quality standards, thanks to several pollutants including sediment. Since construction site discharges constitute a major source of sediment, the Construction General Permit is an important tool for protecting water quality in Idaho’s waterways.