BOSTON, Mass., Jan. 14, 2004 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a compliance order to the Town of Great Barrington for alleged Clean Water Act violations at its wastewater treatment plant, which discharges into the Housatonic River.
The compliance order stems from the town's failure to fully implement its federally approved industrial pretreatment program.
"Industrial discharges can have a major impact on wastewater treatment facilities and, ultimately, overall water quality," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England Office. "The town's failure to meet federal pretreatment standards could potentially have put the Housatonic River at risk."
The violations include the following:
* failure to issue discharge permits to all industrial users;
* failure to submit an enforcement response plan to EPA;
* failure to revise the town's Sewer Use Ordinance and submit it to EPA;
As a result of EPA's complaint and order, it is expected that the wastewater treatment plant will fully implement the required industrial pretreatment program so that all industrial users meet national pretreatment standards.
