E.P.A. orders restoration of Ripley Co. wetland

No. 09-OPA147

(Chicago, Ill. - Aug. 6, 2009) E.P.A. Region five has reached an arrangement with Lucille and Thomas Warfield, Versailles, Ind., for allegedly discharging dredged material and debris into about 22 acres of forested wetland adjacent to Little Graham Creek in Ripley County, Ind.

The Warfields have agreed to restore four acres of forested wetland to its original condition; plant, maintain and protect a 16 acre riparian corridor along the creek and 2 of its tributaries; and legally protect those areas and approximately eleven acres of existing wetland with a conservation easement. The Warfields have already performed a significant portion of this work.

Wetlands provide important functions in the environment by naturally filtering pollutants in water that runs through them, reducing the frequency and intensity of flooding by acting as a buffer, and providing habitat for wildlife, birds and aquatic creatures.

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