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Compton fined for sewage leaks

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The city of Compton will pay more than $160,000 in fines to settle allegations that raw sewage and other pollutants were spilled into Compton Creek at least eight times from 2010 to 2013, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board announced this week.

Board officials contended that sewage overflows resulted in pollutants being dumped into the creek, and that the city failed on three of the eight occasions to report the spills.

There was no immediate comment from the city.

As part of a settlement agreement with the board, the city will pay $161,019 to the State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account. The city is also liable for another $107,346 in fines, but that penalty will be suspended, if the city completes upgrades to its sewer system, including monitoring systems, according to the board.

According to the board, the upgrades must include video analysis of the sewer system to identify areas that may be in need of repair; sewer system inspections every 90 days; quarterly reports to the Regional Water Board; implementation of a root-control program; and hiring of two full-time employees to work on the sewer system.

“We continue to work to improve the older sewer systems in our region, such as Compton’s, that pose serious threats to public health and  the environment,” said Samuel Unger, executive officer of the Regional Water Board. “The action we’ve taken against Compton and other municipalities in our region that have faced similar issues, will help the city reduce its risk for sewage spills by upgrading infrastructure and putting protocols in place to guard against overflows.”

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