DEQ, Crowley Capital reach settlement in Hoback RV Park water quality violations
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Crowley Capital, LLC—owner of Hoback RV Park in Teton County—have entered into a settlement agreement to address water quality violations identified at the property.
The settlement agreement identifies activities that Crowley Capital, LLC has completed to bring the facility into compliance, identifies additional activities that the owners of the Hoback RV Park have agreed to complete to investigate and address water quality concerns in the area, and establishes a monetary penalty. In addition to Crowley Capital spending over $100,000 on corrective actions to address the violations, the settlement agreement invests nearly $300,000 into additional water quality protection and restoration activities within the area.
In March 2020, DEQ completed an inspection of the Hoback RV Park and identified liquid wastewater on the ground in the northern portion of the Hoback RV Park septic system leach field. DEQ also determined that water treatment brine generated from an ion exchange water treatment system was discharging to the subsurface without a permit. A Notice of Violation was issued on July 2, 2020 for violations identified during the inspection.
To correct the violations and bring the facility into compliance, Crowley Capital immediately posted signage and fencing in the area of the surfacing sewage to prevent residents from coming in contact with the wastewater, and they subsequently addressed operation of the septic system such that sewage is no longer surfacing. Crowley Capital also immediately ceased the unpermitted water treatment brine discharge to the subsurface and connected the discharge line to a permitted holding tank.
Crowley Capital, LLC is currently working to investigate groundwater quality in the Hoback RV Park area to determine whether impacts to groundwater and existing water wells may have occurred from the illegal discharge of brine.
“The owners of Hoback RV Park addressed the necessary actions immediately upon receipt of the NOV and have worked collaboratively with DEQ and Teton County to address the violations,” said Lily Barkau, DEQ groundwater section manager.
In addition, Crowley Capital, LLC has agreed to fund a Supplemental Environmental Project in the Hoback Junction Area, which includes working with residents, Teton County, Teton Conservation District, Wyoming Water Development Commission, and WDEQ to (1) create and operate a water and sewer district and (2) fund a Water Development Level II study to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a public water system for the area. Funding the Level II study as a Supplemental Environmental Project will help ensure these activities are completed expeditiously.
