HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) – D.G. Yuengling and Son Inc. agreed to settle in a case involving allegations of violating the Clean Water Act (CWA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced.
“Yuengling is responsible for serious violations of its Clean Water Act pretreatment discharge limits, posing a potential risk to the Schuylkill River which provides drinking water to 1.5 million people,” EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin said. “This history of violations and failure to fully respond to orders from the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority and EPA to correct the problems resulted in this enforcement action.”
The company agreed to spend roughly $7 million to improve environmental measures at its two large-scale breweries near Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The company will also pay a $2.8 million penalty and implement an environmental management system (EMS) to achieve CWA compliance. A third-party consultant will ensure the EMS is implemented properly.
“It is vital that companies using municipal wastewater treatment facilities strictly follow pretreatment guidelines and permit limits for their wastewater,” Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, said. “It is what good neighbors expect, and it is what the law requires.”