6/18/19 - CONSENT AGREEMENT ISSUED, ASSESSING A PENALTY OF $21,000, DUE WITHIN 30 DAYS.
ALLEGATIONS:
ON JULY 29, 2015, RESPONDENT APPLIED FOR PERMIT COVERAGE UNDER THE JOINT APPLICATION PROCESS WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT (CORPS). ON SEPT 8, 2015, THE CORPS SENT A REQUEST FOR ADD'L INFO TO RESPONDENT. ON MAY 25, 2016, RESPONDENT REQUESTED THAT THE APPLICATION BE WITHDRAWN AND THE SOUTH FL WATER MGMT DISTRICT (SFWMD) WITHDREW THE APPLICATION.
ON OR ABOUT MAY 30, 2017, RESPONDENT SUBMITTED ANOTHER APPLICATION TO SFWMD, BUT STATED THEY WERE NOT SEEKING A PERMIT FROM THE CORPS. ON JUNE 6, 2017, THE CORPS NOTIFIED THE APPLICANT VIA LETTER THAT BASED ON A PREVIOUS EVALUATION AND REVIEW OF THE RECENTLY SUBMITTED CONSTRUCTION PLANS THAT A CORPS PERMIT WAS REQUIRED.
ON MARCH 8, 2018, THE CORPS RECEIVED AN APPLICATION FOR THE PROJECT AND ON APR 4, 2018, THE CORPS CONDUCTED A SITE INSPECTION AND DISCOVERED THAT THE WETLAND IMPACTS PROPOSED HAD ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED. ON JUNE 5, 2018, THE CORPS ENFORCEMENT STAFF CONDUCTED ANOTHER SITE INSPECTION AND DOCUMENTED CURRENT SITE CONDITIONS, NOTING CONTINUED EARTH MOVING ACTIVITIES.
ON JUNE 13, 2018, THE CORP ISSUED RESPONDENT A CEASE AND DESIST ORDER REQUIRING RESPONDENT TO STOP PERFORMING ANY FURTHER FILLING IN AREAS THAT MAY BE SUBJECT TO THE CORPS' JURISDICTION UNDER CWA 404.
ON NOV 27, 2018, THE CORPS AND EPA CONDUCTED A JOINT INSPECTION OF THE SITE TO FURTHER INVES