EPA enforcement actions against wastewater plants in Virginia
15 formal actions at 16 of 224 plants · $226,130 in penalties · 10 EPA inspections
EPA's enforcement records list 15 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Virginia, 0 of them since fiscal year 2020. The cases involve 16 of the state's 224 plants, with $226,130 in penalties assessed. The most common ground is prevention of accidental release/risk management plans (rmps) (4 cases). EPA has inspected 6 plants in the state, 10 inspections in total. Every plant links to its profile, and every case to its report on EPA's ECHO site.
- All plants in Virginia
- Virginia NPDES permits
- EPA enforcement nationwide
- Analysis: enforcement since 2020
Recent enforcement actions in Virginia
| Plant | Date | Type | Law section | Outcome | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilderness Wastewater Treatment Plant Locust Grove | Sep 2019 FY2019 | Administrative order | Notification of Hazardous Reportable Quantity Release | Final Order With Penalty | $21,500 | ECHO 03-2019-0026 |
EPA's description: “On August 13, 2019, EPA filed a Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO), (Docket No. CERC-EPCRA-03-2019-0026), which initiated and settled EPA's penalty claim for violations of the notification and…” | ||||||
| Pearisburg Town - Sewage Treatment Plant Pearisburg | Sep 2013 FY2013 | Administrative order | Emergency Release Notification Section 313 Program | Final Order With Penalty | $5,000 | ECHO 03-2013-0182 |
| Galax Wastewater Treatment Facility Galax | Mar 2013 FY2000 | Judicial case | NPDES Permit Violations | Final Order With Penalty | $50,000 | ECHO 03-2000-0506 |
| Culpeper Wastewater Treatment Plant Culpeper | May 2012 FY2012 | Administrative order | Emergency Release Notification Section 313 Program | Final Order With Penalty | $27,420 | ECHO 03-2012-0139 |
| Lcsa - Saint Louis Community Leesburg | Dec 2011 FY2010 | Administrative order | Nat'l Drinking Water Compliance Schedule - Effective Date | Final Order No Penalty | — | ECHO 03-2010-0243 |
| Augusta Correctional Center Craigsville and 4 other plants named in the case | Jun 2008 FY2004 | Administrative order | Compliance Order: Injunctive & Penalty | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 03-2004-0297 |
| Richmond WWTP Richmond | Jun 2008 FY2008 | Administrative order | Prevention of Accidental Release/Risk Management Plans (RMPs) | Final Order With Penalty | $300 | ECHO 03-2008-0158 |
| Richmond WWTP Richmond | Sep 2007 FY2002 | Administrative order | Compliance Order: Injunctive & Penalty | Final Order Issued | — | ECHO 03-2002-0301 |
| Martinsville STP Ridgeway | Jan 2006 FY2005 | Administrative order | Prevention of Accidental Release/Risk Management Plans (RMPs) | Final Order Issued | $1,000 | ECHO 03-2005-0311 |
| Culpeper Wastewater Treatment Plant Culpeper | Sep 2005 FY2005 | Administrative order | Prevention of Accidental Release/Risk Management Plans (RMPs) | Final Order With Penalty | $800 | ECHO 03-2005-0299 |
Full case histories, milestones, violation types and EPA's complete case summaries for every plant are shown with a free Klarifi account. Create one
Largest penalties in Virginia
| # | Plant | Date | Type | Outcome | Penalty | Compliance actions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doc - James River Correctional Center State Farm | Sep 2004 FY2004 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $58,110 | $75,000 | ECHO 03-2004-0280 |
| 2 | Galax Wastewater Treatment Facility Galax | Mar 2013 FY2000 | Judicial case | Final Order With Penalty | $50,000 | $1.1M | ECHO 03-2000-0506 |
| 3 | South Hill WWTP South Hill | Jan 1994 FY1993 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $46,000 | — | ECHO 03-1993-0235 |
| 4 | Culpeper Wastewater Treatment Plant Culpeper | May 2012 FY2012 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $27,420 | $27,600 | ECHO 03-2012-0139 |
| 5 | Wilderness Wastewater Treatment Plant Locust Grove | Sep 2019 FY2019 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $21,500 | $1,500 | ECHO 03-2019-0026 |
| 6 | Town Of Luray Luray | Feb 1999 FY1997 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $15,000 | $700,000 | ECHO 03-1997-0159 |
| 7 | Pearisburg Town - Sewage Treatment Plant Pearisburg | Sep 2013 FY2013 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $5,000 | $1,500 | ECHO 03-2013-0182 |
| 8 | Martinsville STP Ridgeway | Jan 2006 FY2005 | Administrative order | Final Order Issued | $1,000 | — | ECHO 03-2005-0311 |
| 9 | Peppers Ferry Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Radford | Sep 2005 FY2005 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $1,000 | $500 | ECHO 03-2005-0309 |
| 10 | Culpeper Wastewater Treatment Plant Culpeper | Sep 2005 FY2005 | Administrative order | Final Order With Penalty | $800 | $500 | ECHO 03-2005-0299 |
Actions by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Formal actions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 0 | — |
| FY2019 | 1 | $21,500 |
| 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 Virginia: questions
How many EPA enforcement actions have been taken against wastewater plants in Virginia?
EPA's enforcement records list 15 formal civil enforcement cases naming publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in Virginia, 0 of them since fiscal year 2020. They involve 16 of the state's 224 plants. Informal actions such as notices of violation are not counted here.
Which Virginia wastewater plant received the largest EPA penalty?
Doc - James River Correctional Center in State Farm: $58,110 assessed in fiscal year 2004 (VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, COMMONWEALTH OF, 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 Virginia is from Sep 2019.
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 2019.
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