$525,000 in fines and penalties was assessed recently against an area tug operator/shipyard following its guilty plea earlier this year.  Cenac Towing Co. was accused of violating the Clean Water Act by failing to collect samples of raw sewage discharged by its former facilities near Houma, LA.  The law requires that a company test the samples for pollutants and submit reports to the Department of Environmental Quality.  The EPA contended that the company failed to test and submit water samples as required by the regulations.  Interestingly, of the $525,000 figure assessed, $375,000 was considered a fine while the balance was labeled a “community-service payment”.

Source: The Houma Courier