The City of Trenton announced on Apr. 9 that it has adopted Ordinance No. 822, which amends Chapter 98, Article III, Section 98-173 and Section 98-275(c) of the city’s Code of Ordinances. The changes include an increase in the minimum penalty for certain violations and updates to periodic compliance reporting requirements for users subject to pretreatment standards.
The ordinance is intended to strengthen enforcement related to environmental compliance within the city by increasing financial penalties and clarifying reporting obligations for industrial users.
According to the amended Sec. 98-173, any user found in violation of a city council order or failing to comply with provisions under this article will be fined a minimum amount of $1,000 per offense or charged for actual costs incurred by the city. Each day a violation continues will be considered a separate offense. In addition, violators may also be required to pay reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, court reporters’ fees, and other litigation expenses through appropriate legal action.
The amendment also specifies that industrial users violating pretreatment standards face a minimum fine of at least $1,000 per day for each violation. Updates in Section 98-275(c) require users subject to pretreatment standards to submit reports twice yearly—in June and December—detailing pollutant concentrations in their effluent as well as records of daily flows exceeding average amounts. The city engineer retains discretion over report timing based on local factors such as flow rates or budget cycles.
Further provisions allow the city engineer to impose mass limitations where dilution is used or when otherwise appropriate; reports must then indicate pollutant mass as regulated by applicable standards. Where best management practices are mandated by pretreatment standards, users must submit documentation needed by authorities for determining compliance status.
Ordinance No. 822 was given its first reading on March 23, enacted on April 7 by City Council approval, scheduled for publication on or before April 13, and set to take effect April 14.
