All News Releases By Date

U.S. EPA settles Clean Water Act case with Los Angeles developer

Release Date: 1/20/2004
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, (213) 452-3378

Shapell to pay $124,000

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today it has settled a case with a Los Angeles property developer over federal Clean Water Act stormwater runoff violations near Saugus, Calif.

With this agreement the Shapell Monteverde Partnership will pay a cash penalty of $124,866.50 within 30 days. This agreement resolves a June, 2003 violation notice to the company.

On April 18 and May 12, 2003, U.S. EPA inspectors visited two properties Shapell is developing on Plum Canyon Road in unincorporated northern Los Angeles County. Federal and state regulations require construction sites to have erosion and sediment control devices in place. The EPA inspectors found such controls inadequate to meet requirements for protecting water quality.

In 2002 and 2003 the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board also inspected these sites twice and noted the same erosion and sediment control problems. The LARWQCB issued Shapell four violation notices.

"Stormwater controls are vital to prevent contaminants from polluting our waterways," said Alexis Strauss, director of the water division in the EPA's Pacific Southwest regional office. Runoff is one of the biggest causes of water pollution in the Los Angeles area.

For more information on U.S. EPA stormwater regulations, visit: www.epa.gov/ebtpages/waterstormwater.html