News Releases from Region 09

U.S. EPA settles with Cabras Marine over discharges to Apra Harbor, Guam

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Cabras Marine Corporation over Clean Water Act violations for discharges of contaminants into Apra Harbor, Guam. Under the terms of the settlement, the company will pay a penalty of $250,827 and will implement measures to control the discharge of pollutants in stormwater and wastewater.

“Effective stormwater controls protect these coastal waters,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “We are pleased to work with Guam EPA and Cabras Marine to achieve these improvements to their operations.”

Cabras Marine’s operations include ship repair dry dock, chassis and engine repair, fabrication, sandblasting, and material storage and disposal.

EPA inspected the facility in March 2017 and found multiple violations of the Clean Water Act. Those violations included discharge of industrial stormwater without a permit, failure to properly maintain containment berms, failure to control sandblast grit and paint particles, improper storage of used oil, and inadequate controls for leaking oil.

EPA and Cabras Marine agreed to an administrative order on consent to return the facility to compliance. Cabras Marine has successfully completed the terms of the agreement, including:

• Obtaining authorization for industrial stormwater discharges.
• Improving controls for pollutants including sandblast grit, paint particles, paint aerosols and oily waste.
• Installing a media filtration unit to treat industrial stormwater prior to discharge into Apra Harbor.
• Building a permanent facility for the storage of used oil.
• Containing wastes from the dry dock.

EPA's proposed settlement with Cabras Marine Corporation is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final approval. The settlement is available at https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/pi/cabras-marine-corporation-piti-guam-consent-agreement-and-proposed-final-order

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