A toxic spill of asphalt materials into a creek that runs into the Chattahoochee River. A company that refuses to stop dumping the materials, then refuses to clean it up, and then leaves town. A nonprofit organization that takes charge when state regulators are unable to muster an effective response.
That’s the story behind the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s efforts to stop American Sealcoat Manufacturing from dumping toxic oily material into our waterways. Over the course of two years, the Riverkeeper pursued the case, first on the ground by documenting the pollution, then through the courts.
The end result? A judge handed down a record $10 million fine (payable to the U.S. Treasury if ever recovered) against the company, the owner of the industrial site agreed to a clean-up, and the Riverkeeper keeps doing its job of protecting the water supply for over 4 million people.
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