EPA v. Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority

Case summary

The Defendant violated its NJPDES permit in the operation of its combined sewer system (CSS). The consent decree requires the Defendant to operate and maintain its system in accordance with its NJPDES permit and the CWA, to make capital improvements where necessary to ensure compliance and to obtain a penalty for the violations that have occurred. The CD was modified on April 29, 2022 to extend several deadlines and include additional compliance actions. Specifically, the modification requires the Defendant to perform additional system repairs and improvements that will reduce flooding, prevent sewage from backing up into homes, and reduce discharges of combined sewage and stormwater to the Hackensack River, Newark Bay, and Hudson River by nearly 370 million gallons per year. In addition, under the modification, Defendant will remove over 12,000 lead drinking water lines in underserved communities while it completes the required sewer system improvements. The estimated cost of the additional work, which must be completed by December 31, 2031, is $1.099 billion.

Defendants (1)

• Jersey City Municipal Utilities AuthorityNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• JERSEY CITY MUN UTIL AUTH

  555 RT 440, JERSEY CITY, NJ, 073050000

  Registry ID: 110043717984

Statutes cited

• CWA 301/402 — NPDES Permit Violations

Enforcement conclusions (2)

• Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authorityentered 2011-09-29

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $375,000 · SEP: $550,000

• Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authorityentered 2022-04-29

  Primary law: CWA

Timeline (6 milestones)

• 2008-06-26Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2008-07-02Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2011-07-19Complaint Filed With Court
• 2021-07-07Supplemental Referral-Other
• 2022-01-27Final Order Lodged
• 2022-04-29Final Order Entered