Sugar processor violates Clean Water Act by discharging raw sugar into the Carquinez Strait
C&H Sugar Company Inc. has reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over allegations that the company violated the Clean Water Act at its sugar refinery in Crockett, California. According to the EPA, C&H Sugar’s facility discharged pollutants into the Carquinez Strait without any authorization. The discharge occurred when the plant received raw cane sugar from ships that dock at the facility. The EPA alleges that loose raw sugar was discharged during the unloading process, a violation of federal law. Additionally, the EPA learned that the facility:
- Failed to properly operate and maintain a wastewater system
- Failed to implement the company's Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan fully
- Violated the refinery's effluent limitations
To rectify these violations, C&H Sugar:
- Modified its sugar offloading system
- Will demonstrate that the new system adequately prevents discharges into the Carquinez Strait
- Will update its Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and sugar management practices
What people are saying
In a recent quote, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said, "With this order, EPA is ensuring that C&H Sugar will act to protect the Bay and prevent further unauthorized discharges into the Carquinez Strait. With our state partners at the San Francisco Bay Region Water Quality Control Board we will continue to enforce the Clean Water Act, thereby defending public health and the environment."
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