Allegany County Concrete Company Ordered to Pay Fines for Violating Discharge Permit

BALTIMORE, MD ( April 6, 2010) - Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that his Environmental Crimes Unit has obtained criminal convictions and fines against Cumberland Concrete Corporation for failing to comply with discharge permit requirements. Cumberland Concrete Corporation pled guilty to 10 counts of failing to comply with the requirement to have and implement a written pollution prevention plan. Each count of the misdemeanor carries up to a $25,000 fine. Allegany County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Finan ordered an unsuspended fine in the amount of $35,000. Judge Finan also ordered an additional suspended fine in the amount of $50,000 and placed Cumberland Concrete on five years probation, with special requirement that the company obey all conditions of permits issued to it by the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Cumberland Concrete Corporation is a ready-mix and concrete block manufacturing facility located in LaVale in Allegany County. The company was issued a permit for discharges from the facility by the Maryland Department of the Environment. The permit required the company to have and implement a written stormwater pollution prevention plan for the facility. The plan required Cumberland Concrete to develop and implement practices to reduce the pollutants in stormwater discharges associated with the industrial activity at the facility. Cumberland Concrete Corporation neither prepared or implemented a written stormwater pollution prevention plan for the facility. On multiple visits by inspectors from the Maryland Department of the Environment, it was confirmed that there was no written stormwater pollution prevention plan prepared or in effect and therefore, no decrease of pollutants being released into the waters right next to the facility.

The Environmental Crimes Unit conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland State Police. In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Gansler thanked Assistant Attorney General Michelle Barnes for handling the case.