Clean Water Act Class II: Proposed Administrative Penalty Assessment and Opportunity to Comment Regarding Colrich Communities, Inc.

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

EPA is providing notice of a proposed administrative penalty assessment for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act (“Act”). EPA is also providing notice of opportunity to comment on the proposed assessment.

EPA is authorized under section 309(g) of the Act, 33 U.S.C. 1319(g), to assess a civil penalty after providing the person subject to the penalty notice of the proposed penalty and the opportunity for a hearing, and after providing interested persons notice of the proposed penalty and a reasonable opportunity to comment on its issuance. Under section 309(g), any person who without authorization discharges a pollutant to a navigable water, as those terms are defined in section 502 of the Act, 33 U.S.C. 1362, may be assessed a penalty in a “Class II” administrative penalty proceeding.

Class II proceedings under section 309(g) are conducted in accordance with the “Consolidated Rules of Practice Governing the Administrative Assessment of Civil Penalties, Issuance of Compliance or Corrective Action Orders, and the Revocation, Termination or Suspension of Permits,” 40 CFR part 22 (“Consolidated Rules”), published at 64 FR 40138, 40177 (July 23, 1999). The procedures through which the public may submit written comment on a proposed Class II order or participate in a Class II proceeding, and the procedures by which a respondent may request a hearing, are set forth in the Consolidated Rules. The deadline for submitting public comment on a proposed Class II order is thirty (30) days after publication of this document.

On March 7, 2000, EPA commenced the following Class II proceeding for the assessment of penalties by filing with Danielle Carr, Regional Hearing Clerk, U.S. EPA, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105, (415) 744-1391, the following Complaint:

In the Matter of Colrich Communities, Inc., Redhawk Tracts 23064-1, 23064-2, 23064-3, Riverside County, California, Docket No. CWA-9-2000-0005.

The Complaint proposes a penalty of up to One Hundred Thirty Seven Thousand, Five Hundred Dollars ($137,500) for violations of NPDES Permit No. CAS000002 (issued by the California State Water Resources Control Board (Order No. 92-08-DWQ)) and Section 301(a) of the Act, 33 U.S.C. 1311(a), at the Redhawk Tracts 23064-1, 23064-2, 23064-3, Riverside County, California.

Procedures by which the public may comment on a proposed Class II penalty or participate in a Class II penalty proceeding are set forth in the Consolidated Rules. The deadline for submitting public comment on a proposed Class II penalty is thirty (30) days after issuance of public notice. The Regional Administrator of EPA, Region 9, may issue an order upon default if the respondent in the proceeding fails to file a response within the time period specified in the Consolidated Rules.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Persons wishing to receive a copy of EPA's Consolidated Rules, review the Complaint or other documents filed in this proceeding, comment upon the proposed assessment, or otherwise participate in the proceeding should contact Danielle Carr, Regional Hearing Clerk, U.S. EPA, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105, (415) 744-1391. The administrative record for this proceeding is located in the EPA Regional Office identified above, and the file will be open for public inspection during normal business hours. All information submitted by Colrich Communities, Inc. is available as part of the administrative record, subject to provisions of law restricting public disclosure of confidential information. In order to provide opportunity for public comment, EPA will issue no final order assessing a penalty in these proceedings prior to thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this document.