Why a Framingham scrap metal company will pay to settle an environmental complaint

FRAMINGHAM — A local scrap metal company has agreed to pay $85,000 to settle allegations that it illegally discharged industrial stormwater into Beaver Dam Brook, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

In a press release, state officials said $60,000 of the money paid by Framingham Salvage Company will go toward the Better Future Project, a Cambridge-based nonprofit, to benefit water quality in the Beaver Dam Brook watershed.

The remaining funds — $25,000 — are to reimburse the AG's Office for legal costs, including attorney fees.

The consent decree was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and is pending court approval.

'Knowingly destroyed wetlands': State is suing Framingham horse dressage company

State officials say the company violated the federal Clean Water Act by illegally discharging industrial stormwater from its facility into Framingham's municipal storm drain system and into Beaver Dam Brook without complying with its federal industrial stormwater discharge permit.

Neighborhood surrounding Framingham Salvage is designated by state as having environmental justice concerns

The neighborhood surrounding Framingham Salvage's Waverly Street facility is designated by the state as a location with environmental justice concerns because "residents of that community have the potential to be disproportionately impacted by environmental harms and risks," according to the AG's Office press release.

"My office is dedicated to protecting our commonwealth's natural resources, especially in communities that unfairly bear the burden of pollution," Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said, in a statement. She added that she was "delighted" that settlement money will be used to address "environmental injustices in the Framingham community."

Why urban 'heat islands' matter: Some neighborhoods in Natick are hotter than others

Matthew Applebaum, vice president at Framingham Salvage, told the Daily News that the company "takes stormwater very seriously and our environmental obligations we take very seriously."

Founded in 1965, Framingham Salvage is a family owned and operated scrap metal recycling and brokerage company. It employs about 15 people, according to its website.

An attempt to reach Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky for comment was unsuccessful.

$60,000 of settlement money will fund projects benefiting Beaver Dam Brook watershed

The $60,000 being paid to the Better Future Project will go toward the organization’s Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW) program to fund projects that benefit the Beaver Dam Brook watershed and to address "health inequities and environmental injustices that the historically marginalized and overburdened communities in Framingham continue to face," the AG's Office said in its release.

CREW’s projects will focus on removal of impervious surfaces, community engagement, increased green space and other projects that benefit water quality in the impacted community.

Leigh Meunier, project manager for CREW, said in a statement that "at its core," the project is about "repairing the relationship between Framingham residents and the watershed ecosystem."

"By directly engaging communities in removing pavement and creating greenspace, this project will improve water quality, transform the local environment to be healthier for people and other species and increase resilience to the extreme weather events accelerated by climate change," she said. "We’re honored to be part of this innovative way of repairing harm."

Framingham Salvage will also design and construct a trench drain system for the purposes of collecting and treating stormwater run-off. The goal of the system is to capture stormwater flow from the driveway before it can enter the catch basin below it on Morton Street.

Additionally, the company will ensure that no scrap metal is stored at its Natick Annex.

Stormwater pollution is regulated under Clean Water Act permits and is recognized as the largest threat to water quality in Massachusetts. Certain industrial facilities in Massachusetts, including Framingham Salvage, need to obtain specific authorization for stormwater discharges, monitoring and controlling discharges and must comply with state water protection laws.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham Salvage Company to pay fine for dumping water illegally