Black Warrior Riverkeeper issued an April 12th news release stating that the environmental organization and Kamtek, Inc., (“Kamtek”) had entered into a settlement addressing alleged violations of a Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permit.
Kamtek is described as an automotive parts manufacturer that operates an aluminum casting plant (“Plant”) in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Plant is stated to discharge process wastewater to the Five Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant which eventually discharges into the Black Warrior River.
A staff attorney for Black Warrior Riverkeeper is quoted in the news release as stating:
Immediately after we sent Kamtek a March 2022 Notice of Intent to Sue (Notice), they asked for an opportunity to correct the violations without litigation. In the 21-year history of our organization sending Clean Water Act lawsuit notices, that request was a first. We were happy to sit down with Kamtek and work toward an agreement about the best ways for the plant to improve their treatment of toxic pollutants. We wish every facility in the watershed was this receptive to our concerns.
Kamtek is stated to be undertaking:
- Research to improve treatment of process wastewater at the Plant.
- Increased staffing of its wastewater operations so that there is a dedicated operator at the Plant every day.
- Retrofitting an on-site lab which will allow operators to collect and analyze wastewater samples in near real time.
The settlement includes Kamtek underwriting a $62,000 Supplemental Environmental Project for Five Mile Creek by the Freshwater Land Trust and reimbursement of Black Warrior Riverkeeper for $15,000 in attorneys’ fees.
A copy of the news release can be downloaded here.
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