A St. Croix industrial plant has been ordered to comply with the Clean Water Act after regulators found it was dumping pollution into a south-side bay, officials said Thursday.
The Environmental Protection Agency ordered Chitolie Trucking Service, which creates ready-mix concrete, to control its wastewater and stormwater pollution.
“Construction activities and facilities play a crucial role in local economies, but without proper controls, they can risk polluting nearby waterways,” said Michael Martucci, the EPA’s regional administrator. The run-off was discovered during an EPA and Department of Planning and Natural Resources inspection.
Chitolie Trucking provides multiple industrial services, including demolition, site clearance, transportation services, excavations, and more. Founder and owner Allan Chitolie did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
The Chitolie site is about 5,000 feet from the bay, with green space and wetlands between.
In the longer term, the EPA mandated Chitolie obtain the necessary permits from DPNR, including required pollution controls. EPA and DPNR will help ensure that the company understands its obligations under environmental regulations and that it operates in a manner that protects local water quality, Martucci said.
EPA officials in San Juan were not immediately able to describe the type of industrial wastewater leaked.
In 2008, the EPA identified “the problematic accumulation of oils, batteries and chemicals” at Chitolie’s Estate Pearl site.
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