EPA v. CENTEX CORP/CENTEX HOMES - Region 3 (NATIONAL CASE)(LEAD)

Case summary

This is a national letter referral. Centex Homes is one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., building about 25,000 single family homes annually. Centex Homes consistently ranks among the five largest U.S. homebuilders. Centex is ranked 241 on the Fortune 500 list and trades on the New York Stock Exchange. The company owns about 60,000 lots and has rights to purchase an additional 71,000 lots. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002, Centex Homes delivered 22,960 homes and was operating in 474 communities in twenty-three States and Washington, D.C. Centex Homes buys and develops lots and land, and builds and sells single-family detached homes, townhomes and low-rise condominiums. Many homes are built under the names of Fox & Jacobs, Wayne Homes, Cityhomes (Dallas-based), or Marquis Homes. These types of violations can have a significant adverse impact on the environment, resulting in discharges of polluted storm water runoff, erosion outside the construction site, siltation, and discharges of non-storm water-related waste or wastewater. EPA has reviewed inspection reports from twenty-nine Centex sites located in eleven states (CA, AZ, NV, OR, CO, TX, NC, SC, FL, MD and VA). The various inspections were conducted by EPA Regions III and VI, EPA's contractor (SAIC), State agencies including the CA State Water Quality Control Boards ( SWQCB ), the MD Department of the Environment, and other local government entities. In addition, EPA reviewed storm water management documents from thirty Centex construction sites located in eighteen states (CA, AZ, NV, CO, OR, WA, IL, IN, MI, MN, NJ, VA, MD, NC, SC, GA, TX, FL). “A complete list of the construction sites covered by this settlement is included in Appendix A of the complaint and Appendix M of the consent decree. This information is also available on the EPA website, Compliance and Enforcement, Newsroom, Cases and Settlements. http://cfpub.epa.gov/compliance/cases/.” The case summary information can be seen by the public in ECHO after the consent decree is lodged.

Defendants (1)

• CENTEX CORPNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (8)

• CENTEX HOMES (PLAZA AMERICA III)

  WATER STREET, OAKTON, VA, 22124

  Registry ID: 110015715056

• AVONDALE GLEN

  10999 OAKTON RD, OAKTON, VA, 22124

  Registry ID: 110012802253

• CENTEX CORP (KINGSTOWNE)

  KINGSTOWNE SECT. 51, CHANTILLY, VA, 20151

  Registry ID: 110037084053

• CENTEX CORP (SOUTH RIVER COLONY, PARCEL B)

  NOBLEWOOD ROAD AND CENTRAL AVE, EDGEWATER, MD, 21037

  Registry ID: 110037084080

• CENTEX CORP (CREEKSIDE LANDING)

  135 WEST QUEEN DRIVE, YORKTOWN, VA, 23690

  Registry ID: 110037084062

• CENTEX CORP (RIDDLE FARM)

  ROUTE 589, WEST OCEAN CITY, MD, 21842

  Registry ID: 110037083465

• CENTEX CORP (BRAMBLETON)

  22634 BELMONT RIDGE RD AND RYAN RD, ASHBURN, VA, 20148

  Registry ID: 110037083456

• CENTEX CORPORATION (KENSINGTON)

  11252 PRESCOTT PLACE, GLEN ALLEN, VA, 23060

  Registry ID: 110037084071

Statutes cited

• CWA 301/402 — NPDES Permit Violations
• CWA 308 — Information Request, Records, Entry
• CWA 301 — NPDES Discharge without a Permit

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• CENTEX CORP/CENTEX HOMES - Region 3 (NATIONAL CASE)entered 2008-08-01

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $79,624 · State/local: $113,000

Timeline (7 milestones)

• 2003-09-30Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2003-10-10Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2008-06-11Final Order Lodged
• 2008-06-11Complaint Filed With Court
• 2008-08-01Concluded
• 2008-08-01Final Order Entered
• 2010-01-25Enforcement Action Closed