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TEXAS TANNERY FINED FOR CLEAN WATER ACT VIOLATIONS

Release Date: 03/30/2000
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2000

TEXAS TANNERY FINED FOR CLEAN WATER ACT VIOLATIONS

On March 22, a consent decree was filed with S.B. Foot Tanning Co., a tannery located in Cactus, Texas, for violations of the Clean Water Act. S.B. Foot, a subsidiary of Red Wing Boot Co., discharged wastewater into the city wastewater treatment facility that exceeded its pH (a measure of acidity or alkalinity) and chromium limits and did not submit required reports. Discharges in violation of pH limits can harm aquatic life. Excess levels of chromium can lead to groundwater and surface water contamination. S.B. Foot will pay $510,439.60 to the United States and expend $926,500 to perform two Supplemental Environmental Projects to benefit the environment. The first project will reduce the chromium discharged from its Cactus facility to a more stringent level than the current standards. The second project will reduce sodium in S.B. Foot’s discharges. The settlement was filed in U.S. District Court in Amarillo, Texas.

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