Company in California Agrees to Pay Clean Water Act Fines, Mitigate Impacts to Sensitive Streams and Wetlands
Goose Pond Ag and
"Today's agreement constitutes one of the largest settlements ever reached in a case involving the unpermitted filling of streams and wetlands. Importantly, this result also finally draws to a close another chapter in long-running Clean Water Act litigation involving these properties near the
"The Corps is satisfied that this enforcement action has been resolved against these companies," said
This case stems from activities these companies conducted after they purchased property that had laid fallow and unfarmed for more than 20 years. Goose Pond bought the 1,500-acre property in 2012 from
Even before Goose Pond's purchase of the site, the companies received aerial photographs, advice from environmental consultants, and other information that alerted them to federally-protected streams and wetlands on the property. Despite that information, the companies conducted extensive ripping and other activities in streams and wetlands without a CWA dredge-or-fill permit. The settlement agreement reached today secures a significant penalty and mitigation for these violations, while providing fairness for farmers and other landowners who comply with the applicable laws.
Last year, in resolving a related case against
The proposed consent decree, lodged in the
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