LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Dec. 1 that it has reached an agreement with Canyon Plastics Inc., resolving allegations of federal Clean Water Act violations.
Canyon Plastics has already corrected the purported deficiencies at its Valencia, California, facility and obtained a stormwater permit. The company also agreed to a $19,000 penalty and the installation of $292,000 worth of recycling equipment.
“The Santa Clara River is home to the endangered Southern California steelhead trout, and plastic pollution further degrades their habitat,” said Alexis Strauss, EPA’s acting regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Canyon Plastics must install the necessary controls and operate in a way that prevents polluted runoff from reaching the river.”
According to the EPA, Canyon Plastics produces “nurdles,” small plastic pellets that are used widely in manufacturing, at a facility at 28455 Livingston Ave., Valencia Nurdles are a major part of the growing plastic debris problem in the nation’s inland and coastal waters, the EPA says.
“The regional board is pleased to work with the U.S. EPA to eliminate discharges of trash and plastics given their significant impacts on fish and wildlife”, said Los Angeles regional water quality control board chairwoman Irma Munoz.
“The Santa Clara River is a precious natural resource for our region, and compliance with the industrial stormwater permit in all of our watersheds is crucial to protecting aquatic life from harmful plastic nurdles.”