EPA levies fine for water law violation

A Priest River building contractor has been fined $7,500 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for violating federal water laws.

Dependable Contracting did not have the required permit and failed to have a stormwater pollution prevention plan as it built townhouses last year in Priest River, according to EPA spokesman Tony Brown. A phone number for the business could not be located. According to the EPA, the business has a mailing address in Pittsburgh.

The problem was discovered during a compliance check in October, said Chae Park, a compliance officer for the agency. By law, a federal permit is required when an acre or more of land is disturbed.

Although the business failed to stabilize a pile of dirt on the site and did not have a runoff prevention plan, Park said runoff from the construction site did not appear to be polluting nearby waterways. The site is located on Larch Road, about a half mile from U.S. Highway 2.