Picerne Military Management to Pay $24,900 Penalty to Settle Violations of Clean Water Act at Fort Riley, Kan.

2012-09-17

Picerne Military Management, LLC, has agreed to pay a $24,900 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act at Fort Riley, Kan.

On Dec. 20 and 21, 2011, Picerne pumped between 5,000 and 9,000 gallons of raw sewage from a crawl space beneath a townhome into a storm drain inlet. Over the course of the two days, the raw sewage was pumped into and through the stormwater drainage system and discharged into a tributary of the Republican River.

“These violations occurred in an area that drains into a residential area, greatly increasing the chance of contact with bacteria in the polluted stream,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks. “Proper wastewater management is a vital piece of preserving our water resources and protecting human health and the environment.”

Untreated domestic wastewater contains bacteria, solids, and organic matter than can be harmful to human health and the ecosystem of the receiving waterbody. Organic matter in wastewater robs the receiving waterbody of oxygen, which is essential for the survival of aquatic life.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency