Union Pacific settles with EPA over stormwater-runoff chemical violations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a settlement with Union Pacific Railroad Co. over violations of the Clean Water Act, in which the company will pay a penalty of $58,800, as well as address the causes of the violations, the EPA said on Tuesday.

A 2014 inspection by the EPA’s Region 7 unit found that a Union Pacific facility in DeSoto, Missouri, that is responsible for rail-car maintenance and refurbishment was exceeding acceptable limits for petroleum, lead and zinc, among other substances, in its stormwater runoff into Joachim Creek. The facility also was not monitoring the discharges’ pH levels.

Union Pacific already has taken steps to ensure that it is now following its Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SPPP), which requires measures such as in-field inspections, proper sampling, improved management systems, and appropriate maintenance and operations. These SPPP measures also work to bring the company into compliance with its permit.

The latest proposed consent agreement between Union Pacific and the EPA defines the civil penalty figure and certifies that the company has brought its operations into compliance with EPA regulations.