EPA v. Sunland Park, City of (Santa Teresa WWTP) (NM0030201)

Case summary

Respondents operate the Santa Teresa wasteater treatment plant. The plant is an old plant, built around 1979, that is hydraulically and organically overloaded. EPA inspected the facility on Nov. 11, 2003, and found the facility to be in serious violation of the NPDES program, including poorly operated equipment and the City failing to even have proper NPDES permit coverage. The facility is in New Mexico, but the discharge goes into a drainage ditch in Texas and flows through a residential subdivision on the way to the Rio Grande river. E. coli and many other pollutants have been found in this ditch and the Health Dept. has issued bans on human contact with the water in the ditch. This Class II Penalty requires the City to settle these unpermitted violations and violations of effluent limits.

Defendants (1)

• Sunland Park, City of (Santa Teresa) (NM0030201)Named in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• SUNLAND PARK, CITY OF (SANTA TERESA WWTP NM0030201)

  APP 1/2 MI N OF COUNTRY CLUB RD AND MCNUTT RD, SUNLAND PARK, NM, 88063

  Registry ID: 110009148350

Statutes cited

• CWA 301/307 — Effluent Limitations - NPDES Toxic & Pretreatment Effluent Standards
• CWA 301 — NPDES Discharge without a Permit

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Sunland Park, City of (Santa Teresa WWTP) (NM0030201)entered 2005-11-04

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $20,000 · SEP: $30,510

Timeline (4 milestones)

• 2005-03-23Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2005-04-27Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 2005-11-04Final Order Issued
• 2011-07-21Enforcement Action Closed