EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Alabama
39 formal actions at 28 of 256 plants · $1.2M in penalties · 71 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 39 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Alabama, 0 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 28 of the state's 256 plants, with $1.2 million in penalties assessed. The most common ground is prevention of accidental release/risk management plans (rmps) (14 cases). EPA has inspected 29 plants in the state, 71 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Alabama
- Alabama NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Alabama
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Bessemer and 5 other plants named in the case | Sep 2024 FY1995 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $750,000 | ECHO 04-1995-0112 |
| Dothan Cypress Creek WWTP Dothan | Oct 2020 FY2012 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Unilateral Administrative Order Without Adjudication | — | ECHO 04-2012-4780 |
| Walnut Creek WWTP Troy | Oct 2019 FY2019 | Administrative order | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $50,000 | ECHO 07-2019-0233 |
| Catoma Creek WWTP Montgomery | May 2019 FY2019 | Administrative order | Sewage Sludge Disposal | Final Order With Penalty | $32,000 | ECHO 07-2019-0034 |
| Alexander City Coley Creek WWTP Alexander City and 1 other plant named in the case | Jan 2015 FY2014 | Administrative order | NPDES Discharge without a Permit | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 04-2014-4762 |
| Village Creek WWTP Birmingham | Nov 2014 FY2014 | Administrative order | Prevention of Accidental Release/Risk Management Plans (RMPs) | Final Order With Penalty | $12,950 | ECHO 04-2014-1517 |
| Alexander City Sugar Creek WWTP Alexander City | Nov 2014 FY2014 | Administrative order | NPDES Discharge without a Permit | Final Order With Penalty | $23,200 | ECHO 04-2014-4510 |
| Aldridge Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Huntsville | Nov 2014 FY2014 | Administrative order | Prevention of Accidental Release/Risk Management Plans (RMPs) | Final Order With Penalty | $900 | ECHO 04-2014-8016 |
| Dothan Cypress Creek WWTP Dothan | Oct 2014 FY2009 | Judicial case | Violation of Existing AO | Final Order With Penalty | $132,000 | ECHO 04-2009-9029 |
EPA's description: “DOTHAN OWNS AND OPERATES 4 MAJOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS (WWTPs) UNDER 4 SEPARATE NPDES PERMITS. THE WWTPs ARE NAMES BEAVER CREEK, OMUSSEE CREEK, CYPRESS CREEK AND LITTLE CHOCTAWATCHEE. DOTHAN,…” | ||||||
| Catoma Creek WWTP Montgomery and 1 other plant named in the case | Sep 2014 FY2014 | Administrative order | Prevention of Accidental Release/Risk Management Plans (RMPs) | Final Order With Penalty | $12,600 | ECHO 04-2014-1514 |
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Largest penalties in Alabama
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Bessemer and 5 other plants named in the case | Sep 2024 FY1995 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $750,000 | $588M | ECHO 04-1995-0112 |
| 2 | Dothan Cypress Creek WWTP Dothan | Oct 2014 FY2009 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $132,000 | — | ECHO 04-2009-9029 |
| 3 | Clifton C. Williams Wastewater Treatment Facility Mobile | Oct 2011 FY2000 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $114,000 | $60M | ECHO 04-2000-0932 |
| 4 | Walnut Creek WWTP Troy | Oct 2019 FY2019 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $50,000 | — | ECHO 07-2019-0233 |
| 5 | Catoma Creek WWTP Montgomery | May 2019 FY2019 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $32,000 | — | ECHO 07-2019-0034 |
| 6 | Alexander City Sugar Creek WWTP Alexander City | Nov 2014 FY2014 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $23,200 | — | ECHO 04-2014-4510 |
| 7 | Village Creek WWTP Birmingham | Nov 2014 FY2014 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $12,950 | $100 | ECHO 04-2014-1517 |
| 8 | Catoma Creek WWTP Montgomery and 1 other plant named in the case | Sep 2014 FY2014 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $12,600 | $100 | ECHO 04-2014-1514 |
| 9 | Mill Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant Lafayette | Jun 1999 FY1999 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $10,000 | — | ECHO 04-1999-0126 |
| 10 | Clifton C. Williams Wastewater Treatment Facility Mobile | May 2006 FY2006 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $6,000 | $5,000 | ECHO 04-2006-8013 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 0 | — |
| FY2019 | 2 | $82,000 |
| FY2020 | 0 | — |
| FY2021 | 0 | — |
| FY2022 | 0 | — |
| FY2023 | 0 | — |
| FY2024 | 0 | — |
| FY2025 | 0 | — |
| FY2026 | 0 | — |
| FY2027 | 0 | — |
EPA fiscal years run from 1 October to 30 September. The current year is partial.
EPA enforcement in Alabama: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Alabama?
EPA's enforcement records list 39 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Alabama, 0 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 28 of the state's 256 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Alabama wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Valley Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bessemer: $750,000 assessed in fiscal year 1995 (JEFFERSON COUNTY/CAHABA RIVER, Final Order With Penalty). Penalties are the amounts EPA records as assessed or agreed, not necessarily what was collected.
What does an EPA administrative order mean for a wastewater plant?
Most cases here are administrative orders under section 309 of the Clean Water Act: EPA finds permit violations, usually effluent limits or discharge without a permit, and orders the plant to return to compliance, often with a corrective action plan, a schedule and sometimes a penalty. Judicial cases go through the Department of Justice and typically end in a consent decree with a capital programme behind it. The latest case in Alabama is from Sep 2024.
Enforcement data: EPA ICIS-FE&C civil enforcement cases and ICIS compliance inspections, via ECHO. Penalties are the amounts assessed or agreed in each case as EPA records them. Latest case status in this data: Sep 2024.
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