Puerto Rican city in US EPA clean water settlement
Jun 4, 2012, 8:54 PM
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – A city on the north coast of Puerto Rico has agreed to spend $56 million to repair and upgrade water treatment facilities in an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA says the city of Arecibo has also agreed to pay a penalty of more than $305,000 to settle violations of the Clean Water Act. The EPA says Arecibo violated the act with discharges of storm water, untreated sewage and other pollutants into a river that flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
Arecibo will be required to make upgrades to its municipal sewer system as part of the agreement. The coastal city has about 100,000 residents.
The settlement was announced Monday but is subject to a 30-day comment period and must be approved by a judge.
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