Wal-Mart Settles Clean Water Act Charges at Construction Sites
The U.S. government and Wal-Mart reached a settlement May 12 for alleged stormwater violations under the federal Clean Water Act at 24 construction sites in nine states. Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., agreed to pay a $3.1-million penalty, the largest for stormwater violations at a construction site.
The retail giant also agreed to reduce stormwater runoff at its sites by instituting better control measures, thereby setting an industry standard for developers and contractors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Dept. of Justice. The government also alleged that Wal-Mart failed to obtain permits before starting construction, failed to develop a plan to control polluted runoff from those construction sites, and failed to adequately install sediment and erosion controls on the sites.