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Hampton Roads Sanitiation Clean Water Act Settlement in the Chesapeake Bay Area

(WASHINGTON, DC - Sept. 29, 2009) Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD), based in Virginia Beach, Va., has agreed to pay a $900,000 civil penalty and to take corrective actions to reduce alleged sanitary sewer overflows from its collection system and nine sewage treatment plants that have polluted the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, the Justice Department, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Commonwealth of Virginia announced today.

Under a settlement filed today in federal court in Norfolk, Va., HRSD is required to collect data, conduct computer modeling, and, working with the municipalities that it serves, develop a regional plan to ensure that the HRSD sewer system has adequate capacity to handle flows from severe storms and to prevent overflows of sewage. Subsequently, HRSD must implement the regional plan. Since HRSD has not identified the projects pending completion of the plan, the cost of that effort is currently unknown although it is expected to cost millions of dollars.

The settlement also requires HRSD to make major upgrades and improvements to the sewer system infrastructure over the next eight years. These upgrades are estimated to cost at least $140 million. The settlement requires that HRSD evaluate, replace, rehabilitate, or upgrade pipes, pump stations and other infrastructure where inspections and screenings show a material risk of failure; HRSD also must submit and implement a plan to effectively manage, operate and maintain the sanitary sewer system to help prevent future sanitary sewer overflows.

“Today's settlement represents EPA’s continuing commitment to protect and restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Compliance and Assurance. “EPA’s compliance and enforcement strategy targets sewage treatment plants, concentrated animal feeding operations, storm water runoff and other sources that may contribute significant pollution to the bay.”

 

For additional information:

For additional information, contact:

Benjamin Bahk
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Civil Enforcement
1200 Pennsylvania Ave.
NW Mail Code 2243A
Washington, DC 20460
202-564-4293
bahk.benjamin@epa.gov

 

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