CSPA Sues Auto Dismantling Facilities in Rancho Cordova

On 4 October 2011, CSPA filed a lawsuit against Specialized Parts Planet, Inc. and five auto dismantling and recycling facilities it operates in Rancho Cordova California for substantive and procedural violations of the federal Clean Water Act and the state’s General Industrial Stormwater Permit.  Each of the facilities discharges pollutants into the City of Rancho Cordova’s stormwater drainage system, which flows into an unnamed tributary of Morrison thence to Morrison Creek and ultimately the Sacramento River and Delta.

The lawsuit alleges that wastes discharged from each of the facilities egregiously exceed allowable standards and benchmarks for numerous pollutants.  It further alleges that each of the facilities has failed to: 1) develop and implement standard Best Available and Best Conventional Treatment Technologies, 2) develop and implement an adequate Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, 3) develop and implement an adequate Monitoring and Reporting Program and 4) truthfully certify its annual reports.

The action asks the court to: 1) declare Specialized Parts Planet, Inc. and the five facilities it operates to be in violation of the law; 2) enjoin defendants from discharging pollutants to surface waters in violation of their permit and from further violating the substantive and procedural requirements of the permit; 3) order defendants to immediately implement pollution control and treatment technologies, comply with monitoring and reporting requirements and prepare a legally adequate Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan; 4) order defendants to take appropriate actions to restore the quality of waters impaired by their its activities, and 5) pay civil penalties for each day of violation and reimburse CSPA the costs of bringing the complaint.

The Law Offices of Andrew Packard is representing CSPA in this matter.