RICHMOND — Richmond agreed to pay a $336,000 positive after it was discovered to have launched poorly handled sewage water into the San Francisco Bay for greater than a yr. Half of that cash will go towards environmental schooling for youngsters.
Between July 31, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2023, inadequately handled wastewater was launched 112 occasions from the Richmond Municipal Sewer District Water Air pollution Management Plant at 601 Canal Blvd., the San Francisco Bay Regional Water District introduced Friday. Every violation value town $3,000, in line with a settlement settlement between town and water district.
Richmond’s water air pollution management plant is answerable for decreasing the quantity of dangerous chemical substances and pollution flushed down bathrooms and dumped within the drains of Richmond houses, companies and industrial operations earlier than flowing into the San Francisco Bay.
Companies with permits to discharge handled water into the San Francisco Bay are anticipated to fulfill sure requirements for the way a lot pollution will be within the handled water, defined San Francisco Baykeeper Govt Director Sejal Choksi-Chugh.
The Richmond plant exceeded permitted requirements by 4% to greater than 300% over the 17-month interval, in line with an in depth listing of violations included within the settlement. Amongst these pollution had been heightened ranges of ammonia, coliform micro organism, and copper.
“Any exceedance can have an impact, especially when you think of how many exceedances happen from any number of facilities in a given year,” Choksi-Chugh mentioned. “Think of it as death by 1,000 cuts. You don’t really want to have multiple exceedances no matter if they’re 5-19% or 120% over.”
Half of the positive Richmond pays is anticipated to be paid to the State Water Assets Management Board’s Water Air pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account, which funds grants for environmental cleanup tasks in areas the place no different company or accountable occasion can do the work.
The opposite $168,000 will fund trash cleanup tasks at underserved Richmond faculties to lift consciousness round watershed well being and human behaviors that contribute to air pollution. These classes shall be led by KIDS for the BAY, a Berkeley nonprofit offering youth environmental schooling programming.
The fines are to encourage businesses to enhance their practices, stopping future polluting occasions, Choksi-Chugh mentioned. Higher monitoring of businesses permitted to discharge into the San Francisco Bay and extra common interventions by the Water District and federal Environmental Safety Company are wanted, she mentioned.
“We’re worried this kind of enforcement does not happen as often as it needs to,” Choksi-Chugh mentioned.
East Bay Municipal Utility District, which oversees the plant at Level Isabel in Richmond, agreed to pay $816,000 in a settlement with the water district after 16.5 million gallons of partially handled sewage spilled into the San Francisco Bay throughout a historic storm in October 2022.
A $1.5 million settlement settlement was additionally entered into between the EPA and East Bay MUD, Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley, Alameda, Albany and the Stege Sanitary District, which serves El Cerrito, Kensington, and a portion of Richmond, stemming from a 2009 lawsuit. They had been charged a further $372,876 in penalties in 2024 for violating the settlement after varied infractions from July 2021 to June 2023, the EPA introduced.
San Francisco Baykeeper has been working with Richmond for almost twenty years to enhance its sewage system after the nonprofit and co-plaintiff West County Toxics Coalition sued town for failing to improve its sewage pipes, permitting pollution like human waste, micro organism, chemical substances and different dangerous supplies to spill into waterways, yards and streets.
The venture is sophisticated given the a whole lot of miles of pipeline town is answerable for, Choksi-Chugh acknowledged, calling Richmond a cooperative associate. Studying of their current violations was disappointing, she added.
“We don’t want waste water agencies discharging pollution into the Bay at any level. It’s not a great situation and I’m glad to see they’re working to try to fix their problems,” Choksi-Chugh mentioned.
Water Useful resource Division Supervisor Mary Phelps, Senior Environmental Compliance Inspector Bradley Harms, Chief Assistant Metropolis Legal professional Shannon Moore and Senior Assistant Metropolis Legal professional Kimberly Chin didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The general public has till 5 p.m. July 7 to supply touch upon the settlement settlement. The Water District will reply on to feedback, after which the settlement shall be last and binding.
