COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A federal judge has fined Colorado Springs Utilities $35,500 for wastewater spills, ending a lawsuit by the Sierra Club against the municipal utility.
The Sierra Club sued in 2005, claiming that releases of chlorine, untreated wastewater and raw sewage, much of it into Fountain Creek, violated the federal Clean Water Act. The group argued that state monitoring and enforcement were insufficient to prevent further spills.
U.S. District Judge Walker Miller declined to order monitoring of the city’s sewage system, saying there had been substantial improvement. But Miller said he could reopen the issue if there was proof that enforcement was lacking.
Colorado Springs officials say the utility has spent $120 million on wastewater improvements since 2004 and plans to spend another $300 million through 2018.
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Information from: The Gazette,
