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Environmental Policing Nets Gains for Pennsylvania Worth $25 Million

Release Date: 11/15/2007
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113

(PHILADELPHIA -- Nov. 15, 2007) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded enforcement cases in fiscal year 2007 that will produce $25 million in pollution controls and environmental projects protecting Pennsylvania's air, water, and land. In addition, polluters will pay another $2 million in penalties for violating federal environmental laws.

"Pennsylvanians will benefit from substantial cuts in pollution and from improvements in the way pollution is managed by these companies and industrial facilities that are now complying with the law," said Donald S. Welsh, EPA's mid-Atlantic regional administrator. "The millions of dollars these companies will have to spend as a result of our environmental policing will also produce health benefits for the public."

EPA's calculations of environmental benefits from its cases in Pennsylvania include the reduction of nearly 27.5 million pounds of chemical releases, the cleanup of contamination in waterways equivalent to 976 Olympic-size swimming pools, and the cleanup of properties with contaminated soil amounting to enough soil to fill 122 football fields with three feet of dirt. The majority of these pollution cuts will come from cases to resolve clean water act violations.

EPA's mid-Atlantic enforcement program inspected and took action for violations associated with eight different environmental statutes. The cases ranged from environmental reporting violations to mismanagement of hazardous waste to illegal discharges of pollutants.

In addition, the agency negotiated agreements with specific violators to spend $30,796 on environmental projects helping communities.

For more information on EPA's enforcement results in the mid-Atlantic region: https://www.epa.gov/region03/enforcement/accomplishments07.htm

More information on EPA's FY 2007 enforcement and compliance program, including details of significant enforcement and compliance activities and data, is available on EPA's fiscal year 2007 enforcement and compliance results: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/data/results/annual/fy2007.html
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