BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has issued two fines to Brice Estates, Inc., totaling $151,000, for failure to comply with a May ruling. The consent order ruling required the company to address Wetlands Protection Act and Clean Waters Act violations that occurred during the construction of the Brice Estates subdivision in Rutland.
“Consent orders impose enforceable requirements to correct violations and return to compliance, and entities that disregard those requirements can face significant civil administrative penalties,” said John Beling, director of MassDEP’s Central Regional Office in Worcester. “Poorly managed construction sites and neglected stormwater systems can cause serious and unnecessary impacts to our natural resources. Those responsible have an obligation to comply with environmental laws, and we will hold them accountable when they fail to do so.”
DEP officials said Brice Estates agreed to the original consent order’s requirements to restore and replicate altered wetland resource areas and protect wetland resource areas — including those within watershed areas — from erosion, sedimentation and alteration caused by construction or precipitation events…