According to information from the non-profit group Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, American Sealcoat Manufacturing LLC (Sealcoat) was levied a $10 million penalty by US District Court Judge Orinda Evans for unlawful discharge of toxic pollutants into the Chattahoochee River near Fulton Industrial Park.
Judge Evans ruled in a Clean Water Act complaint brought by Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK), which discovered and reported the dumping.
CRK filed its lawsuit against the asphalt sealant manufacturer in the summer of 2014 after discovering that it was operating without an industrial storm water permit in clear violation of the Clean Water Act, and was repeatedly and intentionally dumping toxins into a tributary that flows into the Chattahoochee River less than 1000 feet away. When CRK offered Sealcoat a settlement and assistance in remediation, the chemical manufacturer refused to cooperate, opting instead to abandon its operations and flee the state.
This court ruling requires American Sealcoat to pay $10 million in civil penalties to the U.S. Treasury. The U.S. Department of Justice will attempt to collect the civil penalties that have been levied.
May Judge Evans’ action on August 13, 2015, serve as a clear message to other potential violators that pollution of the Chattahoochee River will not be tolerated.
Click Here for Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s Press Release
