Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced that the Wisconsin Department of Justice has filed and settled an environmental enforcement lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court against Westwood Aluminum Castings, Inc., for its violation of Wisconsin's industrial stormwater laws.
Westwood Aluminum operates an aluminum foundry in Waukesha.
Under the applicable general stormwater permit, issued by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Westwood Aluminum is required to prepare, amend, and carry out a stormwater pollution prevention plan. It was required to keep its plan at its Waukesha facility and produce it when asked to do so. Westwood Aluminum was also required to monitor its stormwater discharges and inspect for stormwater violations.
According to the complaint, Westwood Aluminum failed to prepare a stormwater prevention plan that met the minimum legal standards, failed to amend its plan as required, failed to carry out its plan, failed to keep it on file at its site, failed to inspect and monitor its stormwater discharges, and failed to report on its storm water inspecting and monitoring as required by law.
Under the settlement agreement, Westwood Aluminum must investigate to determine the effects of its past stormwater spills at its site. In addition, Westwood Aluminum agrees to pay $45,000 in forfeitures, surcharges, and costs for its violations of Wisconsin environmental laws. The fine may be reduced to $30,000 if Westwood Aluminum carries out an acceptable supplemental environmental project improving Westwood Aluminum's stormwater operations over-and-above what is required by law.