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The City of Blackfoot and EPA Agree to a $25,000 Settlement for Clean Water Act Violations in Snake River

Release Date: 01/25/2006
Contact Information: Contact : Carla Fromm, EPA Region 10, Boise, ID (208) 378-5755 Tony Brown, Public Affairs, EPA Region 10, Seattle, WA (206) 553-1203

The City of Blackfoot, Idaho has agreed to pay a penalty of $25,000 for unauthorized in-stream excavation work in the Snake River. This settlement agreement between the City and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is available for public comment through February 24, 2006.

In June 2002, the City discharged dredged and fill material into the Snake River below the ordinary high water mark while constructing a berm in the Snake River near the headgate of Jensen Grove Lake. In April 2005, the City again discharged in the same general area while building a temporary road crossing and a barb to direct flow to the headgate. The alleged discharges of dredged and fill material were not authorized by a Clean Water Act permit. Such unauthorized discharges are violations of the Act.

According to Jim Werntz, EPA’s Idaho state director in Boise, performing work in wetlands and rivers is tightly controlled by permitting for good reasons.

“Anyone working in wetlands or near rivers and streams – for any reason - needs to obey the law,” said Werntz. “EPA has always made protecting Idaho’s shrinking wetlands and threatened natural resources a top priority. Local, state and federal permitting programs help ensure that projects like these are done in the least harmful way, or not done at all.”

Those wishing to comment on the settlement may do so by submitting written comments, along with the commenter’s address and telephone number to:

City of Blackfoot Public Notice (yosemite.epa.gov/r10/enforce.nsf/Current+Public+Notices/City+of+Blackfoot+Penalty)
Region 10 Wetlands Program (yosemite.epa.gov/R10/ecocomm.nsf/Wetlands/Wetlands)

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