 EPA Says broadcaster ilegally filled wetlands for radio towers May 11, 2004
To resolve EPA's claims, Kozned has agreed to pay a penalty of $17,000 for the violations and to restore the wetlands, streams, and intertidal areas that were damaged by a number of road-building and mechanized land-clearing projects Kozned directed between July 1998 and September 2002. These projects resulted in the discharge of fill material to 2.71 acres of the property's aquatic areas and disrupted hydrologic flow over a larger area of the property. Specifically, the settlement requires Kozned and his company to:
Quoting an EPA news release, wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. An immense variety of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals rely on wetlands for food, water, and shelter, especially while migrating and breeding. Wetlands also provide many societal benefits such as water quality improvement, flood storage, shoreline erosion control, economically beneficial natural products for human use, and opportunities for recreation, education, and research. "This has been a long
and, at times, troubling case," said Marcia Combes, Director
of the EPA's Alaska Operations Office. "We're pleased to
finally reach an agreement so that this critical wetlands restoration
work can get started."
Source of News Release:
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