The fines were paid by the taxpayers. Life goes on.
Georgia's Department of Transportation and a major road contractor will pay fines totaling $176,000 to settle environmental violations that caused silt to flow into Crane Creek during construction along Interstate 20.
According to a consent order posted on the state Environmental Protection Division's Web site, the violations occurred in 2008 and included encroachments into a mandatory buffer zone along streams and the discharge of significant sediment into Crane Creek.
Jeff Darley, the program manager in EPD's Augusta office, said the erosion issues have been corrected with the installation of proper silt barriers and the restoration of stream buffers. The affected area is along I-20, where major construction has been under way for several years.
Crane Creek is a tributary that empties into Rae's Creek, which winds through Augusta and flows into lakes Aumond and Olmstead.
Frank Carl, the executive director of Savannah Riverkeeper Inc., said environmental groups complained about the silt problems last year.
"Unfortunately, the lack of erosion and sediment control on the DOT project has contributed significantly to the sediment problem in Lake Olmstead that has been the subject of much recent debate," Dr. Carl said.
Mr. Darley, however, said EPD officials concluded the Crane Creek violations didn't affect siltation at lakes Aumond or Olmstead.
The consent order that yielded the fines included two sediment discharges and two encroachment offenses.
The penalties were assessed against DOT and a contractor -- Scott Bridge Co. -- but the order did not specify who actually paid the fines.
Fines assessed by EPD are paid into the state's general fund.
Questions about how the fines were paid were referred to DOT spokeswoman Cissy McNure, who was not at work Tuesday and did not respond to an e-mail and a message left on her cell phone. Her office referred questions to district engineer Mike King in Augusta, who also was not at work Tuesday.
Reach Rob Pavey at (706)868-1222, ext. 119, or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
The fines were paid by the taxpayers. Life goes on.
Many of us have consistently complained to the EPD about the run-off from the building of Stallings Island Middle School and other drainage running into Point Comfort Cove and straight into the river to no avail. Columbia County allowed the Carriage Hills subdivision to be built without a proper retention pond. The current muddy area on the Carriage Hills side of Point Comfort Rd. should be dug out to catch silt. There is no excuse for a county government causing and allowing such silting directly into the river. Point Comfort Cove should be dreged to clean up the mess the county created.
The fines are not paid by the taxpayers. Life is sweet.
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