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Aug. 26, 2010
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) issued a stop work order on Wednesday to Synergics Wind Energy LLC and White Construction Company, forcing stoppage of work at the Roth Rock wind power project except for the work necessary to comply with all requirements of the approved sediment and erosion control plan.
According to Jay Apperson, deputy director of the MDA’s office of communications, work may resume on the project when MDE determines that the site is in compliance with the approved sediment and erosion control plan.
It was after receiving a complaint from a citizen that an MDE inspector went to the site on August 3 and found violations of the discharge permit’s requirement for compliance with sediment and erosion control approvals. Apperson confirmed that the violations were numerous and throughout the project, including: failing to comply with the approved sequence of construction in the sediment and erosion plan; not having sediment controls in some areas of construction; installing in some areas regular silt fence instead of the required super silt fence; and lack of interim controls in some areas where earth was being disturbed for stormwater controls. Notices of the violations were provided to representatives of both Synergics Wind Energy and White Construction.
“We immediately advised them to stop all earth-disturbance work except for work needed to bring the site into compliance, and representatives of Synergics and White Construction agreed to do so,” Apperson said. “We did follow-up inspections on August 9 and August 17, and found both times that they were not doing earth-disturbance work other than work toward bringing the site into compliance, but that the site was still not in full compliance with the permit requirements.”
Another inspection was scheduled for Tuesday of this week, during which inspectors found that the companies have made progress, but still have additional items to address before they are in compliance.
These include additional sediment control structures such as sediment basins and microbasins (smaller versions of sediment basins) and ditches to convey and control runoff.
“We also found that they had done earth-disturbance work (such as excavation work for windmill pads and crane pads) not related to work needed to bring the site into compliance,” Apperson said. “This was inconsistent with what we had advised them to do and what they had agreed to do after the August 3 inspection. So on Tuesday, we advised White Construction and Synergics to cease all work at the site (including work that does not involve earth disturbance) other than work needed to bring the site into compliance until the site is in full compliance. They agreed to do so.”
Apperson refused to comment on enforcement action against the companies since the matter remains under investigation.
