EPA v. City of Great Falls & Malteurop North America Inc

Case summary

The City of Great Falls, Montana has agreed through a consent decree to control wastewater discharges that generate high levels of toxic gas in the City?s sewer system. The City has also agreed to make improvements to its wastewater treatment system to reduce raw sewage overflows in the city and the Missouri River. The City is alleged to have failed to control discharges from a significant industrial user in its service area (Malteurop North America, Inc.), which is a malting plant. The discharges from the malting plant are alleged to have caused high levels of hydrogen sulfide to form in the City of Great Falls? sewer system, and the toxic gas is alleged to have caused corrosion in the sewer system. The consent decree also addresses alleged violations associated with persistent sewage overflows in the City of Great Falls wastewater system. These include several dozen incidents of raw sewage backing up into residences and buildings and flowing in city streets, as well as discharges of raw or partially treated sewage to the Missouri River. The partially treated sewage discharges were a result of infiltration and inflow overloading the flow capacity of the City?s wastewater treatment plant, and the City bypassing parts of the treatment system. The City has agreed to remedy the overflows and discharges by increasing capacity at its treatment plant, improving the enforcement of pretreatment requirements at facilities that cause blockages, evaluating the capacity and condition of the sewer system, and improving the operation and maintenance of collection systems.

Defendants (2)

• Malteurop North America IncNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• City of Great FallsNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (2)

• MALTEUROP NORTH AMERICA INC

  2800 GREAT BEAR AVENUE, GREAT FALLS, MT, 59404

  Registry ID: 110058026238

• CITY OF GREAT FALLS WWTP

  1600 6TH STREET NE, GREAT FALLS, MT, 59404

  Registry ID: 110064645460

Statutes cited

• CWA 301/307 — Effluent Limitations - NPDES Toxic & Pretreatment Effluent Standards

Enforcement conclusions (2)

• Malteurop North America Incentered 2014-04-14

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $525,000

• City of Great Fallsentered 2014-04-28

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $60,000 · State/local: $60,000 · SEP: $125,000

Timeline (9 milestones)

• 2008-09-15Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2008-09-18Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2009-09-24Supplemental Referral-Adding parties, counts
• 2014-03-05Complaint Filed With Court
• 2014-03-05Final Order Lodged
• 2014-04-28Final Order Entered
• 2015-03-11Demand for Stipulated Penalties
• 2019-01-30NPDES Closed
• 2022-01-18Enforcement Action Closed