Agency Orders Construction Co. to Restore Wetland
Michael Rodriguez and his company, Christian Brothers Construction, of Meridian, Idaho have been ordered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to restore the wetland and stream that his company illegally filled and channelized without a Clean Water Act permit.
According to EPA, in October 2008, Rodriguez illegally filled 1.7 acres of wetlands and filled and channelized 1,680 feet of Tenmile Creek, located in Meridian, Idaho. He failed to obtain the required Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Walla Walla District. Before this violation, Rodriguez was told by the Corps that a permit was required for his proposed work, but he failed to apply for one.
Since the fall of 2008, EPA has been working with the Corps Walla Walla District and the Idaho Department of Water Resources to address the illegal wetland and stream damages. The Corps and the Idaho Department of Water Resources both previously issued notices of violation to Rodriguez in connection with his unauthorized work in Tenmile Creek.