Mississippi Landowner Fills Wetlands, Pays $100,000
Rodney O. Corr will pay $100,000 for illegally filling wetlands on his property in Waveland, Miss., in violation of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA).
The impacted wetlands are adjacent to Edwards Bayou, a tributary to the Jourdan River in Hancock County, Miss.
"By taking this enforcement action, we are sending a strong message about the importance of protecting wetlands across the Southeast," said Stan Meiburg, EPA Region 4 acting regional administrator. "Wetlands are important resources that serve as habitats for critical fish and wildlife and also help control floods, recharge groundwater, capture pollutants and cycle nutrients."
Beginning in May 2004, Corr or those acting on his behalf illegally discharged fill material into approximately 14 acres of wetlands while using earth moving machinery to clear a site for commercial development. He did not obtain the required CWA Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prior to performing this work.