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U.S. EPA orders Lucas and Mercier to correct Clean Water Act violations at La Mesa Eastridge Subdivision

Release Date: 12/21/2004
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, U.S. EPA, (213) 244-1815

Penalties include fines of up to $25,000 per day per violation

SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently ordered developer Lucas and Mercier, Inc., of Vista, Calif., to correct stomwater discharge violations at the Eastridge Subdivision in La Mesa, near San Diego.

Lucas and Mercier's Eastridge Subdivision discharges stormwater to La Mesa MS4 (a municipal separate sewer system) which in turn discharges into the Chollas Creek and the San Diego River. EPA officials inspected the Eastridge Subdivision in November, discovering a series of Clean Water Act violations, including: ineffective sediment controls at storm drain inlets; improperly installed gravel bags, hay bales and sand bags; and the absence of an up-to-date stormwater pollution prevention plan.

"Stormwater runoff from construction sites continue to affect our streams, rivers and estuaries," said Alexis Strauss, director of the Water Director for the EPA's Pacific Southwest Office in San Francisco. "To protect San Diego's waterways, Lucas and Mercier must promptly comply with the Clean Water Act and correct problems found at this site."

Within 30 days, Lucas and Mercier, Inc. must submit to the EPA records that document all measures taken to comply with this order. Failure to do so may result in fines of up to $25,000 per day per violation.

For more information on the EPA's Water Programs, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/region09/water/
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