U.S. E.P.A. orders Fillmore property owner to remove illegal barrier in Sespe Creek
|
 |
Category: WaterType: News
Source: EPA
Date: Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
For Immediate Release: February 3, 2010
Contact: Francisco Arcaute
(213) 244-1815, cell (213) 798-1404
arcaute.francisco@epa.gov
LOS ANGELES - The E.P.A. has ordered Beverly Hills resident James Van Trees to remove an earthen dam he built across portions of Sespe Creek and Little Sespe Creek on his property near Fillmore, California Mr. Van Trees built the dam without a federal permit, in violation of the Clean Water Act.
A major tributary of the Santa Clara River, Sespe Creek is a critical habitat for Southern California steelhead. Winding through the Los Padres National Forest, Sespe Creek flows to the Santa Clara River and into the Pacific Ocean near Ventura.
"Sespe Creek is one of the few streams which supports the endangered Southern California steelhead and other aquatic species," said Alexis Strauss, Water Division director for EPA's Pacific Southwest region. "We are committed to protecting the Santa Clara River watershed from unauthorized fill or damming of the stream."
According to EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspected the Van Trees Property in February 2009. During this inspection, the Corps observed that earthen fill and rock had been placed within Sespe Creek and Little Sespe Creek on the Van Trees property to create a crossing that obstructs migration of steelhead and other area species. E.P.A. inspected the Van Trees property in May 2009 and confirmed the Corps' observations.
"We are ordering James Van Trees to immediately stop placing fill materials into the creeks and develop a project to remove the unauthorized fill and restore steelhead passage," said Greg Gholson of the E.P.A. Pacific Southwest region's Clean Water Act Compliance Office. Following approval of the Removal and Restoration Plan, E.P.A. will monitor its implementation by Mr. Van Trees to ensure the creeks are restored to their condition prior to the unauthorized activities.
The Clean Water Act prohibits the placement of dredged or fill materials into wetlands, rivers, streams and other waters of the U.S. without a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For more information on the EPA's permit program, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/water/wetlands. To view the Findings of Violation and Order for Compliance issued by E.P.A. to Mr. Van Trees, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/water/wetlands/regulatory.html#recent.
The Santa Clara River watershed is protected and managed by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, which produced this map through its Watershed Management Initiative. For more information, visit:
http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/water_issues/programs/regional_program.
There are currently no comments for this story. Be the first to
add a comment!
Click here to add a comment about this story.
Boxer Welcomes Obama Administration Letter on Need for Clean Water Act Legislation
... and my colleagues in the Senate to enact legislation that protects rivers, lakes and wetlands and keeps Americans' ... , fostering confusion and uncertainty and making it difficult for federal agencies to effectively implement the law to protect public health ...
Petroda Oil and Gas Penalized for Violating the Clean Water Act
... fined Petroda Oil and Gas of Duncan, Oklahoma, $1,300 for violating federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the Clean Water Act. A federal inspection of an oil production facility located on 8th Street, ...
Shell to Pay $1 Million Penalty, Enhance Pollution Controls for Clean Water Act Violations in Puerto Rico
... failed to fulfill the arrangement by discharging pollutants in excess of permit limits, discharging pollutants into Santiago Creek (Quebrada Santiago) and the Caribbean Sea (Mar Caribe) at unpermitted locations, ...
Tennessee Dairy Farmer Indicted on Clean Water Act Charges
... to discharge waste from his dairy facility onto the grounds of his property. The wastes then allegedly flowed into Lick Creek which empties into the Duck River. Polluting surface waters with animal wastes can make ...
Union Pacific Railroad Company Fined for Violating the Clean Water Act
... Pacific Railroad Company of Spring, Texas, $21,000 for violating the federal Clean Water Act. Today's announcement settles a ... a 2,200-gallon oil spill into Cow Bayou, a tributary to Clear Lake, and adjoining shorelines near Webster, Texas. The settlement ...
John Rapanos agrees to pay for Clean Water Act violations
... . Rapanos challenged EPA's findings that the filled wetlands were under federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. The litigation determined that Rapanos did fill wetlands under federal jurisdiction. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Rapanos ...
City of Ketchikan Agrees to Pay $39,000 Settlement to Resolve Federal Clean Water Act Violations
... like Ketchikan are following the requirements set forth by their discharge permit. We're happy to see that the City is making strides to upgrade their facility." The NPDES permit program, a key part of the federal Clean Water Act, controls water ...
Large California Grower Illegally Expands Orchard 7 Acres Into Fresno River/Patrick Ricchiuti could face U.S. E.P.A. fines of $37,500 per day for federal violations
... 's parcel numbers 033-160-001 and 033-160-002, near Avenue 16 and Road 21 in Madera County, ... , which is approximately 68 miles long, is a major tributary of the San Joaquin River. Flows in the reach of the Fresno River along the property are regulated by ...
Arizona developer agrees to settle Clean Water Act violations along the Santa Cruz River
... and his companies for clearing and filling an extensive stretch of the lower Santa Cruz River and a major tributary, the Los Robles Wash, without a permit from the Corps of Engineers. "A seven-figure penalty ...
Critical Habitat Reproposed for California Red-legged Frog
... Units Responding to a court order, the U.S.F.W.S. today reproposed 4.1 million acres in 28 California counties as critical habitat for the ... Recreation, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California Department of Fish and Game, Santa Clara Valley ...
