CEMEX Construction Materials was operating a sand and gravel mine in Wadsworth without a permit to discharge mine pit wastewater and industrial stormwater.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the company was releasing up to 13 million gallons per day into the Truckee River.
“They were discharging wastewater directly into the Truckee River. This was very concerning because the Tribe had set water quality standards for the Truckee River, for temperature, total dissolved solids, and sediment, due to concerns about fish. This discharge was causing non-compliance with those standards,” said Amy Miller, director of the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division at EPA Region 9.
Miller said the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe reached out to the EPA after noticing the discharges. Under the Clean Water Act, the agency has primary enforcement authority on tribal lands.
“States don’t have authority on tribal lands, so it’s really crucial that we ensure our nation’s environmental laws are enforced,” Miller said.
As part of the settlement, CEMEX will pay a $310,000 penalty and fund an $800,000 restoration project along Cold Creek near Truckee, California, which is part of the same watershed as the facility. The project is expected to improve water quality and help protect native fish species.
