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Home Depot Clean Water Settlement

(Washington, D.C. – Feb. 26, 2008) Home Depot has agreed to pay a $1.3 million penalty and implement a nationwide compliance program to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The settlement resolves alleged violations that were discovered at more than 30 construction sites in 28 states where new Home Depot stores were being built. 

The settlement, joined by the state of Colorado, requires that Home Depot implement a comprehensive, corporate-wide program to prevent storm water pollution at each new store it builds nationwide. Home Depot must develop improved pollution prevention plans for each site, increase site inspections and promptly correct any problems at its sites. The company must properly train its construction managers, as well as contractors and their personnel on the federal storm water requirements. Home Depot must also implement a management and internal reporting system to improve oversight of on-the-ground operations and appoint a high-level company official to oversee compliance at all company construction sites.

"EPA requires construction sites to take simple, basic steps to prevent storm water pollution,” said Granta Y. Nakayama, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “We expect a large corporation like Home Depot to comply with the law and protect the waters in the communities it serves."

"Storm water that runs off of large construction sites can carry sediment, debris, and other pollutants into surrounding waterways," said Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division.  "This settlement is an important step in protecting the environment around Home Depot's future construction locations."

 

For additional information, contact:

Kelly Kaczka Brantner
U.S. EPA
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (2243A)
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 564-9933
brantner.kelly@epa.gov

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