Dept. of Environmental Protection
Northeast Regional Office
2 Public Square
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Christina Novak, Press Secretary
(717) 787-1323
Mark Carmon, Community Relations Coordinator
(717) 826-2511

HARRISBURG (Feb. 4) – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has signed a consent order and agreement with Wal-mart that will improve environmental construction practices for the Arkansas-based retailer’s stores throughout Pennsylvania.

"Wal-mart has agreed to heighten its vigilance with its contractors and subcontractors during construction activities for all of its stores," DEP Northeast Regional Director William F. McDonnell said. "Wal-mart also will pay a $100,000 civil penalty for past violations, $75,000 of which will be use for worthy environmental improvement projects in Northeast Pennsylvania."

The agreement is the result of violations of water quality laws and regulations at a Wal-mart under construction in Honesdale Borough, Wayne County, between January and September 1998.

The agreement requires Wal-mart to more closely monitor construction contractor compliance. Pre-construction meetings with DEP must take place for all present and future construction sites in Pennsylvania.

Wal-mart must correct all remaining violations at the Honesdale site under a schedule in the agreement. The retailer also will pay a $100,000 civil penalty to the Commonwealth and $2,800 to the Wayne County Conservation District.

Community environmental projects in Northeast Pennsylvania totaling $75,000 will be funded from the civil penalty. Funds will be used to create a brownfields development task force for Luzerne and Lackawanna counties ($19,000); establish an environmental advisory council in Wayne County ($11,000); and for payment of costs associated with fire fighting and removal of debris from the fire at the Diversified Records facility in West Pittston Borough, Luzerne County ($45,000). The Wayne County Conservation District conducted numerous inspections in early 1998 at the Honesdale construction site and attempted to bring construction activities into compliance with erosion and sedimentation (E&S) regulations and practices.

Due to repeated E&S violations, a tributary of the Lackawaxen River was heavily silted. The conservation district referred the case to DEP’s Northeast Regional Office for enforcement action in January 1998. Wetland violations also were noted between May and September 1998.

Three stop-work orders were issued by DEP for different areas of the construction site, and a hold was placed on new permits for Wal-mart construction sites throughout the Commonwealth as a result of the violations in Wayne County.

DEP is considering additional enforcement action against Wal-mart’s contractors and sub-contractors who worked on the Honesdale construction site.

For more information on water quality visit DEP through the Pennsylvania homepage at www.state.pa.us or directly at www.dep.state.pa.us (choose Subjects/Water Management).

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1999

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