Aug. 18--The city of Maryville, Mo., has agreed to pay a $33,000 civil penalty to settle allegations it failed to properly operate its industrial wastewater pretreatment program.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regional office, the agreement includes a $20,400 cash payment to the United States and the installation of a new energy-efficient water pump at Maryville's sewage treatment plant.

The EPA said it determined that the city failed to conduct required annual inspections of seven local industries -- identified as "significant industrial users" of the wastewater system -- during 2005 and 2006. The users include LMP Steel and Wire, Federal-Mogul Corp., Deluxe Printing, Eveready/Energizer Battery Co., Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Co., Laclede Chain Manufacturing Co., and St. Francis Hospital.

Although the EPA said it identified violations of Maryville's pretreatment program by the users, the incidents do not appear to have caused or contributed to any violations of the city's effluent limits.

Besides paying the civil penalty to the United States, the city also has agreed to perform a supplemental environmental project that will involve the installation of a new water pump at its treatment plant.

The increased energy efficiency will reduce the city's energy consumption and associated generation of greenhouse gases, the EPA said.

"This was an unfortunate result of an oversight in the permit writing and enforcement process by the city," Maryville City Manager Matt LeCerf said in a statement given to the News-Press Monday. "We are positive that at no point during this period did the City of Maryville receive a discharge violation related to this issue. Both the city and the community business partners recognize and act in an environmentally conscious method."

Ray Scherer can be reached at rscherer@npgco.com.

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