The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced a settlement agreement with the Fredericksburg Sewer and Water Authority, Joao and Bradley Construction Company, and Steckbeck Engineering and Surveying, Inc. to resolve multiple violations of the Clean Streams Law and the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act that occurred during the construction of the Fredericksburg Sewer Main Project in Bethel Township, Lebanon County.

Joao and Bradley Construction Company served as the project’s general contractor and Steckbeck Engineering and Surveying, Inc. provided daily project oversight. The settlement includes $75,000 in civil penalties.

Prior to beginning construction in early 2013, the parties failed to obtain the necessary permits for the full scope of the project. Additionally, in areas where permit coverage was obtained, the parties failed to conduct work in accordance with permit conditions and/or failed to follow the approved plans.

Inspections by DEP and the Lebanon County Conservation District determined the parties’ failure to obtain and follow permits resulted in impacts to streams and wetlands, including some exceptional value wetlands.

Impacts included sediment pollution resulting from inadequate erosion and sediment controls, fill placement in wetlands, stream and wetland disturbance during the unauthorized installation of utility lines and associated access roads, and disturbance to several streams resulting from the unauthorized replacement of existing roadway culverts.

Since DEP first identified the violations in the spring of 2014, the responsible parties have cooperatively worked to restore many of the impacts. In addition to the civil penalty, the settlement agreement requires the parties to develop and implement a restoration plan for remaining impacts, as well as to submit permit applications for the continued operation and maintenance of previously unauthorized activities.

A copy of the Consent Order and Agreement is available online.

12/15/2014