Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, June 13, 2008

Home builder agrees to storm-water pact

Centex Homes, with housing projects in the county, will tighten its water run-off practices

By Bill Sheets
Herald Writer

 A half-dozen housing projects in Snohomish County could be among many across the nation where home builders may have failed to meet storm-water control standards, according to the federal government.

Centex Homes has joined three other builders nationwide in agreeing to pay the government a total of $4.3 million and to tighten water run-off protections at all of their construction sites.

The settlement between the companies and two federal agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice, was announced Wednesday.

Violations were discovered at construction sites in 34 states, including Washington, said Tony Brown of the Environmental Protection Agency's office in Seattle.

The agency did not disclose exactly where the violations occurred. The agency lists six Centex projects in Snohomish County that may have been among those that may have failed to comply with the law: Bellemont Crossing in Bothell, Cougar Ridge near Monroe, Palmer Place in Marysville, Quintessa Townhomes near Lynnwood, Sinclair Woods in Bothell and Getchell Hill in Marysville.

The agency lists seven other Centex sites in Washington state -- five in King County and two in Clark County.

Centex Homes is based in Dallas and has an office in Kirkland. Company officials did not return phone calls.

Centex and the other companies failed to take basic steps to keep water from running off at construction sites, Brown said. The federal Clean Water Act requires builders to take measures such as erecting fences to block the movement of silt, grading the sites in phases and building basins to hold sediment, he said.

In some cases, the companies failed to obtain the required permits, Brown said.

"If they take these simple steps, they won't run into these kinds of problems," Brown said.

In addition, the companies have agreed to develop improved pollution prevention plans for each site, increase site inspections and promptly correct any problems that are detected.

They also must train construction managers and contractors in managing water runoff and have trained staff at each construction site. They must implement a reporting system to improve oversight and submit annual reports to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA