EPA v. HS RESOURCES, INC. AND SOUTHTECH EXPLORATION, L.L.C.

Case summary

1. SECTION 309(B) OF THE CLEAN WATER ACT ( CWA ), 33 U.S.C. SECTION 1319(B). 2. HS RESOURCES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION SOUTHTECH EXPLORATION, L.L.C., A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABIL- ITY COMPANY FACILITIES: 1) HOMER HABER NO. 1, ACADIA PARISH, LA. 2) BEULAH HERBER NO. 1 SITE, BEAUREGARD PAR- ISH., LA. 3) HAYES NO. 1 SITE, JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH, LA. 4) CORMIER-MATHIS NO. 1 SITE, BEAUREGARD PAR- ISH., LA. 5) VICTORY FINANCIAL NO. 1 SITE, JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH, LA. 6) DORTHY STUCKEY NO. 1 SITE, ALLEN AND JEFF- ERSON DAVIS PARISHS, LA. 7) QUATRE PARISH NO. 1 SITE, CALCASIEU PAR- ISH, LA. 8) JAE RICHARD NO. 1 SITE, BEAUREGARD PAR- ISH, LA. 9) HAYES LUMBER NO. 2 SITE, JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH, LA. 10) JA RICHARD NO. 1 SITE, BEAUREGARD PARISH, LA. 3. RESPONDENTS WERE IN VIOLATION OF SECTION 404 OF THE CWA BY DRILLING AND CONSTRUCTING 10 WELLS AND ASSOCIATED IN- FRASTRUCTURE IN WETLANDS WITHOUT COE 404 PERMITS. THE ACTIVITIES BY THE RESPONDENTS RESULTED INTHE ILLEGAL FILLING AND DREDGING OF 19.93 ACRES OF WETLANDS. 4. RELIEF SOUGHT PURSUANT TO SECTION 309(B) OF THE CWA, EPA REFERRED THIS REFERRAL TO DOJ RECOMMENDING THAT THE COM- PLAINT AND CONSENT DECREE BE EXECUTED AND FILED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. REGION 6 IS UTILIZING A LETTER REFERRAL BE- CAUSE OF CASE SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH PROVIDE GREAT ADVANTAGE TO EPA IF THE CASE WAS EXPEDITED. EPA HAD PRO- POSED A CIVIL PENALTY OF $850,000, A $500,000 SEP WETLAND DONATION TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, AND $50,000 SEP FOR TWO WETLANDS COMPLIANCE SEMINARS. AFTER DISCUSSIONS, THE RESPONDENT AGREED UPON A PACKAGE CONSISTING OF A $700,000 CIVIL PENALTY AND A $500,000 NATURE CONSERVANCY SEP WET- LANDS PURCHASE TO BE HANDLED PURSUANT TO A CONSENT DE- CREE. HS RESOURCES, INC. IS WILLING TO: 1) APPLY FOR AN AFTER-THE-FACT PERMIT AUTHORIZING THE DISCHARGES OF DREDGED AND FILL MATERIAL WHICH OCCURRED DURING THEIR DE- VELOPMENT OF THE WELL SITES WITH MITIGATION FOR THE IM- PACTS TO WETLANDS WILL BE REQUIRED; 2) PAY A CIVIL PENAL- TY OF $700,000 WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF THE CONSENT DECREE; AND 3) UNDERTAKE A SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT (SEP) CONSISTING OF THE PURCHASE OF $300,000 WORTH OF WETLANDS ACREAGE TO BE DONATED TO THE LA. CHAP- TER OF THE NATURE CONSERVANCY.

Defendants (2)

• HS RESOURCES, INC.Named in complaintNamed in settlement
• SOUTHTECH EXPLORATION, L.L.C.Named in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (10)

• CORMIER-MATHIS NO. 1 SITE

  SECTION 16, TOWNSHIP 7 S, RANGE 8 W, DERIDDER, LA, 70634

  Registry ID: 110010696292

• HAYES NO. 1 SITE

  SECTION 29, TOWNSHIP 7 S, RANGE 7 W, JENNINGS, LA, 70546

  Registry ID: 110010597951

• VICTORY FINANCIAL NO. 1 SITE

  SECTION 21, TOWNSHIP 9 S, RANGE 5 W, JENNINGS, LA, 70546

  Registry ID: 110010597960

• BEULAH HERBER NO. 1 SITE

  SECTION 30, TOWNSHIP 7 SOUTH, RANGE 8 W, DERIDDER, LA, 70634

  Registry ID: 110010597942

• HOMER HABER NO. 1 SITE

  SECTION 40, TOWNSHIP 9 SOUTH, RANGE 2 W, EVANGELINE, LA, 70537

  Registry ID: 110010597933

• DOROTHY STUCKEY NO. 1 SITE

  SECTION 21 AND 28, TOWNSHIP 7 S, RANGE 7 W, JENNINGS, LA, 70546

  Registry ID: 110010597979

• JA RICHARD NO. 1 SITE

  SECTION 31, TOWNSHIP 7 S, RANGE 8 W, DERIDDER, LA, 70634

  Registry ID: 110010705521

• JAE RICHARD NO. 1 SITE

  SECTION 32, TOWNSHIP 7 S, RANGE 8 W, DERIDDER, LA, 70634

  Registry ID: 110010597988

• HAYES LUMBER NO. 2 SITE

  SECTION 28, TOWNSHIP 7 S, RANGE 7 W, JENNINGS, LA, 70546

  Registry ID: 110010597997

• QUATRE PARISH NO. 1 SITE

  SECTION 3, TOWNSHIP 8 S, RANGE 8 W, LAKE CHARLES, LA, 70601

  Registry ID: 110010705512

Statutes cited

• CWA 404 — Permits for Dredge and Fill Material

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• HS RESOURCES, INC. AND SOUTHTECH EXPLORATION, L.L.entered 2000-10-18

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $700,000

Timeline (7 milestones)

• 2000-04-28Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2000-08-03Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2000-08-09Complaint Filed With Court
• 2000-09-16Final Order Lodged
• 2000-10-18Final Order Entered
• 2000-10-18Concluded
• 2001-06-15Enforcement Action Closed