Background, Landscape & Habitat

Excavation and filling of wetlands took place without a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at this 1,710-acre site located near the intersection of Highway 603 and Interstate 10 in Hancock County, Mississippi.

Unauthorized trenching, draining and filling large portions of the property to lower the water table destroyed wetlands, impacted regulated natural ecosystems and impaired water quality constituting a clear Clean Water Act violation, requiring substantial restoration efforts to return the site to its natural condition. E|R coordinated simultaneously with federal prosecutors, client’s defense counsel and environmental consultants to develop, refine and execute restoration plans approved by all parties.

Restoration Activities

– Removal and disposal of approximately 77,000 linear feet of previously-installed silt fence

– Complex grading and discing in sensitive wetland habitat to restore natural hydrology

– Handling and relocation of more than 150,000 cubic yards of dirt between spoils and fill areas

– Nearly 7,000 trees planted to restore native habitat

– Ongoing herbicide treatment to control exotic and nuisance species