ST Products to Pay $75,000 Penalty for Clean Water Act Violations at Blair County, Pa. Facility

(PHILADELPHIA - April 12, 2012) The E.P.A. today announced a settlement with ST Products resolving alleged Clean Water Act violations at the company's metal tube fabrication facility in Duncansville, Blair County, Pa.

ST Products agreed to pay a $75,000 penalty for allegedly exceeding permit limits when discharging industrial wastewater pollutants to the wastewater treatment plant operated by the Borough of Hollidaysburg (BOH) in Frankston Township, Blair County, Pa. The BOH wastewater treatment plant discharges treated wastewater to the Juniata River which flows into the Susquehanna and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.

EPA's complaint alleged that ST Products exceeded its pretreatment permit discharge limits for the pollutants oil and grease, zinc, lead, and copper over a 34-month period. As part of the settlement, ST Products did not admit liability for the alleged violations, but has certified that it is now in compliance with applicable Clean Water Act requirements.

The Clean Water Act requires companies discharging pollutants to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) to obtain a permit from the POTW limiting the amount of pollution that may be discharged to the plant. This usually requires some type of pretreatment by the discharging facility.

Under a pretreatment permit, limits for pollutants are established in order to prevent impairment of waterways, either as a result of pollutants passing through the POTW, or interference with the functioning of the treatment plant.

For more information about pretreatment requirements visit: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=3.

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