EPA proposes settlement for Clean Water Act violations on Blackfeet Reservation - Missoula Current

1 year ago 48

Blair Miller

(Daily Montanan) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency connected Tuesday announced a projected colony with a tribal h2o institution connected the Blackfeet Reservation that has agreed to wage $40,000 to settee violations of the Clean Water Act astatine 2 attraction facilities.

Two Medicine Water Company agreed to the projected colony aft it was recovered to person failed to travel licence requirements and discharged pollutants into a tributary of Willow Creek and a tributary of the Two Medicine River, according to the EPA.

The alleged violations happened astatine the Browning Facility from June to November of this year, and astatine the Two Medicine Water Treatment Plant from January 2018 to December 2020.

At the Browning Facility connected Young Brother Road from June 30 done Nov. 6, the EPA said the institution failed to taxable monthly discharge reports, execute play inspections, show pollutants and support lagoon dikes. It besides discharged pollutants without a permit, according to the EPA.

At the Two Medicine Water Treatment Plant connected Highway 49 from Jan. 1, 2018, done Dec. 8, 2020, the institution besides discharged pollutants without a permit, failed to self-monitor and taxable required discharge reports, and failed to execute play inspections, the bureau said.

The EPA said the company’s financials showed it was “unable to wage a larger penalty” than the $40,000.

Two Medicine Water Company has since obtained discharge permits for some facilities and has been submitting the required play inspection and monitoring reports to the EPA and has agreed to wage the penalty, the EPA said.

In a post on Facebook, the institution said chlorine levels from a h2o cleaning strategy exceeded maximum levels successful 2 settling ponds that provender into the Two Medicine River and claimed the people inherited an “out of compliance Browning lagoon strategy erstwhile they took implicit operations successful 2013.”

“TMWC is looking to installing immoderate benignant of trickling strategy to remedy this,” the institution said successful the post. “… The Blackfeet people nether the guidance from the Blackfeet Water Resources Department is presently moving with IHS to remedy these deficiencies.” The station besides said the institution is keeping the EPA updated connected its progress.

A nationalist remark play connected the projected colony opened Wednesday. People wishing to remark connected the connection tin taxable those done Jan. 19 by clicking here and pursuing the guidance.

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