Hanover Foods Corporation has agreed to a proposed settlement involving a $1.15 million civil penalty and several corrective actions due to alleged Clean Water Act violations at its wastewater treatment facility in Hanover, Pennsylvania. This agreement was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP).
The settlement includes measures that Hanover Foods must implement to prevent further release of pollutants into local waterways. Craig Pritzlaff, Acting Assistant Administrator of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, emphasized the importance of these steps: "Ensuring that Hanover Foods takes the necessary steps to prevent the release of nutrients and other pollutants underscores the EPA’s commitment to protecting our nation’s waterways."
According to Adam Gustafson, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division, "Hanover Foods allegedly failed to properly treat industrial wastes at its wastewater treatment facility, jeopardizing human health and the environment." The consent decree aims to hold Hanover accountable for past violations while ensuring future compliance.
The complaint associated with this decree alleges that Hanover Foods did not adhere to its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, which is mandatory for facilities discharging wastewater into U.S. waters. Since 2016, there have been over 600 instances where Hanover exceeded permitted pollutant levels.
To address these issues, Hanover will install new equipment and enhance its operations to comply with permit limits for nutrients and temperature. These upgrades are crucial as excessive nutrients and high temperatures can damage aquatic ecosystems.
Additional improvements include installing a permanent boiler for temperature control, implementing spare-parts programs, and enhancing monitoring procedures. The proposed consent decree has been lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and awaits a 30-day public comment period before final court approval.
Further details on submitting public comments can be found on the Justice Department’s Proposed Consent Decree webpage.
Information from this article can be found here.
