BOSTON (Legal Newsline) — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced April 10 that Veolia Water North-America-Northeast LLC (Veolia) will pay $1.6 million after allegations of failing to properly maintain and operate the wastewater treatment plant and collection system for the town of Plymouth.
“By failing to properly maintain and operate wastewater treatment facilities, companies like Veolia are not only violating the law, they are threatening public health and our invaluable coastal water resources,” Healey said. “[This] settlement brings back critical funds to the state and secures needed funding for significant improvements to Plymouth Harbor, local shellfish beds, and our coastal ecosystem.”
Healey said $1.35 million of the settlement will go toward civil penalties. The other $250,000 will go into an environmental trust that will be used to help improve the ecosystem surrounding Plymouth Harbor.
“The matter resolved addresses a significant failure to properly operate and maintain essential infrastructure,” said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Commissioner Martin Suuberg. “The resulting failure of the wastewater system required emergency action by the town, MassDEP and other parties to abate the spills and work toward a properly functioning system.”