Koster
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced on Tuesday that he has filed a lawsuit against a landfill owner who allegedly violated the state's Clean Water law.
Joel Brett and his company, St. Charles County Piping Inc., allegedly polluted a tributary of Perque Creek through the R&E Sanitary Landfill, which has since closed down.
Koster alleges that the landfill is leaking a water contaminant called iron leachate into the water.
In addition to the leak, the defendant also allegedly did not submit quarterly discharge monitoring reports as required by law and failed to renew an operating permit.
Finally, Brett is charged with allegedly breaching an earlier agreement, in which he agreed to treat the wastewater and pay a $3,000 fine.
"We all must serve as stewards of our state's environmental integrity," Koster said. "This office will aggressively pursue those who show disregard for our environmental laws."
Koster is seeking a court order for both preliminary and permanent injunctions against the company that would require it to comply with the Clean Water law. He also seeks a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 per day for each violation of this law.
Koster also wants the company to pay the $3,000 it agreed to in the prior settlement agreement as well as all costs associated with the litigation.