Ashbrook Simon-Hartley Acquires Wilfley Weber
Ashbrook Simon-Hartley, a leader in water and wastewater treatment solutions headquartered in Houston, Texas, purchased substantially the assets of Wilfley Weber, Inc. A company known for its aeration technologies, Wilfley Weber serves municipal and industrial wastewater markets with a full line of products. The business is located in Denver, Colo.
"We are excited about the potential for this product line and will be moving quickly to integrate these operations within the Process Systems Group of Ashbrook Simon-Hartley for the benefit of our customers in the water and wastewater industry," explained Robert T. Williams, president of Ashbrook Simon-Hartley.
Construction Co. Fined for Filling in Wetlands
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined Frank Coluccio Construction Co. and Castle Family LLC, a total of $68,000 for filling sensitive wetlands adjacent to Hamakua Stream in Kailua, Oahu without federal permits.
"We will protect the Kailua wetlands from illegal filling and ensure it is restored to provide water bird habitat, flood storage, and protect the island's coastal water quality," said Alexis Strauss, water division director for EPA's Pacific Southwest region. "When wetlands are filled, these important ecological functions are lost. Any discharge of fill to wetlands or streams requires a federal permit."
In response to complaints by Kailua residents, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers informed Coluccio and Kaneohe Ranch Company, Ltd., the Castle Family LLC property manager, that Clean Water Act permits were required for the filling of wetlands. Under an agreement with Castle Family LLC, Coluccio had cleared wetland vegetation at the site to create a project equipment and materials staging area.
In February 2005, the Hawaii Department of Health and EPA officials inspected the site and noted that large stockpiles of excavated soil and rock had been dumped into the wetland habitat, although neither company had obtained the required permit. Coluccio filled just under one acre of wetlands that are part of a larger system running from Kawainui Marsh to Kaelepulu Pond and the Pacific Ocean.
EPA then ordered the companies to develop and implement a plan to remove the fill from the wetlands and restore the habitat with native plants and appropriate re-grading. The companies must monitor the restoration site, evaluate its success, and submit annual reports to EPA for up to 5 years.