http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Heather/Morning%20Edition%2006-12-2012.mp3
Three environmental groups have filed complaints against eight Connecticut companies who are allegedly violating the Clean Water Act.
In the lawsuits filed last Friday in US District Court in Hartford, the companies are accused of polluting Connecticut rivers and Long Island Sound by allegedly not obtaining an industrial stormwater permit.
Roger Reynolds is the senior attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, one of the plaintiffs in the suit:
"Our allegation is that they're allowing stormwater to run off their sites, and that stormwater is polluted, and it is causing pollution to the lakes and rivers and Long Island Sound, where we swim, fish, and ultimately where we drink the water."
Reynolds says the companies named in the suit, all auto and junk salvage companies, have dodged compliance for years:
"The requirement has existed since 1992, so these companies have been on notice for quite a while, that they have to register and comply."
The suit seeks to bring these companies into compliance by having them obtain the industrial stormwater permit, restore water quality in areas damaged by storm runoff, and pay civil penalties and plaintiffs costs.
The eight companies named in the lawsuit did not respond to WNPR's request for comment.
