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Missouri Ag News Headlines |
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EPA Settles with Magruder Limestone on Clean Water Act Violations
Missouri Ag Connection - 01/23/2020
A Lincoln County, Missouri, limestone quarry owner has agreed to settle a civil enforcement action with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). According to EPA, Magruder Limestone Inc. filled in more than 1,200 feet of a stream without first obtaining a permit, as required under the CWA.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) initially identified the alleged violation and reported it to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). EPA, MDNR and USACE conducted a site visit at the Magruder Limestone Inc. property in September 2018 and confirmed that the company used earth-moving equipment to place dirt and other material into a tributary of Barley Branch. Barley Branch is a tributary of the Mississippi River.
As part of the settlement, the company agreed to pay an $80,000 civil penalty and submit a plan to EPA to restore portions of the affected stream.
The CWA seeks to protect the nation's water resources. Placing unauthorized fill material into streams and other water bodies can degrade watershed health, create loss of wildlife habitat, impact stream channel configuration, and deprive downstream landowners and the public from the use and enjoyment of public waters. The CWA prohibits parties from discharging fill material into water bodies unless they first obtain a permit from USACE. If parties place fill material into water bodies without a permit, USACE may elect to refer an enforcement case to EPA.
The penalty settlement with Magruder Limestone Inc. is subject to a public comment period before it becomes final.
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