The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) announced two separate settlements today with All Steel Fabricating, Inc. (All Steel) and Williams Scotsman, Inc. (WSI) to resolve allegations that each company, in separate instances, violated the Federal Clean Water Act. The companies will make payments under those settlements totaling $200,000, most of which will fund projects to improve local water quality in the North Grafton, West Bridgewater, and Salisbury areas.
The consent decree with All Steel was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on January 8, 2025. If approved by the Court, this consent decree would resolve allegations that All Steel violated the Federal Clean Water Act by allowing industrial stormwater to discharge from its metal fabricating facility in North Grafton into Flint Pond, connected to the Quinsigamond River, without obtaining or complying with the Federal Clean Water Act permit. The consent decree requires All Steel to obtain and comply with the permit, minimize stormwater pollution from its facility, pay $25,000 each to Regional Environmental Council, Inc. of Worcester and Worcester Roots Project, Inc. to fund projects that improve water quality in the Blackstone River Watershed, and pay $25,000 in attorney’s fees and costs.
The consent decree with WSI was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on January 14, 2025. If approved by the Court, it would resolve allegations that WSI violated the Federal Clean Water Act by allowing industrial stormwater to discharge from its transportation and warehousing facilities in West Bridgewater and Salisbury into wetlands that are adjacent to the Hockomock River and Town Creek, respectively, without obtaining or complying with the necessary federal permit. The consent decree requires WSI to comply with the permit and minimize stormwater pollution from the facilities. It also requires WSI to pay $30,000 to the Natural Resources Trust of Easton, Inc. to fund projects that improve water quality in the Taunton River watershed, pay $30,000 each to the Essex County Greenbelt Association, Inc. and Dream Network of Lawrence to fund projects that improve water quality in the Merrimack River watershed, and pay $35,000 in attorney’s fees and costs.
Stormwater pollution is regulated under a variety of Federal Clean Water Act permits and is recognized as the largest threat to water quality in the Commonwealth. Under the Act, certain industrial facilities in Massachusetts must obtain specific authorization for stormwater discharges, properly monitor and control stormwater discharges, and comply with state water protection laws.
Today’s announcement is part of a civil enforcement initiative out of the AGO’s Environmental Protection Division, which focuses on combatting pollution by enforcing the requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act, the Federal Clean Air Act, and other federal environmental laws in Massachusetts. Since launching this initiative in 2018, the Division has reached more than 22 settlements and recovered more than $2.1 million for local environmental improvement projects. The division has also prioritized directing settlement funds from appropriate enforcement actions to support communities that have been impacted by violations and historically overburdened by environmental harm.
These cases were handled by Assistant Attorney General Helen Yurchenco and Federal Enforcement Case Coordinator Muhammad Diallo, both of the AGO’s Environmental Protection Division.
Original source can be found here.