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Dive brief:
- San Francisco-based contractor Swinerton has agreed to pay a $2.3 million fine to settle allegations that has violated the Clean Water Act and related state laws during the construction of solar farms in Alabama, Idaho and Illinois that it worked on from 2016 to 2022, the EPA announced Jan. 17.
- the agency filed the complaint along with the states of Alabama and Illinois. It alleges that at four jobsites, Swinerton failed to use adequate stormwater controls, failed to conduct periodic site inspections by qualified personnel and failed to accurately report and address stormwater issues, according to the statement At sites in Alabama and Idaho, their actions led to unauthorized discharges of large volumes of sediment-laden stormwater into nearby waterways, according to the EPA.
- As a result, Swinerton will pay a civil penalty of $1,614,600 to the US, $540,500 to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and $144,900 to the state of Illinois, according to the statement. In addition, Swinerton will fund substantial mitigation projects to correct excess sediment discharges at sites in Idaho and Alabama. In Idaho, Swinerton will provide $600,000 in funding for a restoration project on the Portneuf River near Pocatello.
Diving knowledge:
Swinerton did not immediately comment on the fine. The company, which was founded by Swedish immigrant Charles Lindgren in 1888 as a masonry and contracting company, focuses on a wide range of markets including industry, education and healthcare.
In 2021, the builder sold its solar divisionSwinerton Renewable Energy, to private equity firm American Securities.
“This settlement holds Swinerton accountable for its widespread violations of the Clean Water Act and ensures that nearby communities in Alabama and Idaho will benefit from projects to restore waterways and improve recreation,” said Todd Kim , Deputy Attorney General of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Department of Justice. Division, in the premiere.
These are not the first cases the US has brought against solar farms: In 2022, the EPA settled allegations of Clean Water Act violations with the owners of the four sites, which paid over $1 million in combined civil penalties to the federal government and affected states.
