Diving Brief: $ 500 million in Legoland New York theme park owner Merlin Entertainments struck a deal with the New York Department of Conservation to pay $ 346,000 for 36 quotes primarily related to building run-off on a local schedule, The Times Herald- reported record. This is the third fine DEC has imposed on the park, bringing the fines total to $ 611,550. The Dubai Economic Council (DEC) has issued 63 citations for stormwater and other site violations in Goshen, New York, since construction began in 2018. In June 2019, a local building inspector closed the project during a period of heavy rain, giving the owner and contractors it’s time to come up with a plan To prevent runoff. As part of the settlement, Legoland must also donate $ 50,000 to an “unspecified environmental benefit project” and allow daily third-party inspections on the site. Contractors are also being prevented from disturbing the more than 15 acres of soil in the project, which is set to open to the public in a few weeks. Dive Insight: Project officials have argued in the past that heavy rainfall was partly to blame for runoff. Goshen officials also had a rule in place forbidding dirt trucking in or out of the site in order to keep construction vehicles out of city roads. Goshen has reportedly imposed his own fines on the park. Citations issued by the DEC against the park against two oil spills in 2018 included an event after project staff removed seven underground storage tanks they discovered on site, according to Herald Records. Legoland postponed its opening this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, and the park also announced on its website, but did not specify the exact opening day. New York will allow theme parks to reopen on April 9. Runoff from construction sites can carry pollutants into surrounding water bodies, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is also taking action for violations of the Federal Clean Water Act. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency fined three construction companies totaling $ 122,000 for allegedly discharging pollutants into the Kansas Creek. The agency also recently fined a Nebraska contractor for dumping concrete and other construction debris into a creek near its Omaha facility. The company agreed to repair the damage to the creek and pay a $ 150,000 fine.
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