For Immediate Release MADIGAN, RETAILER REACH AGREEMENT ON ALLEGED PERMIT VIOLATION DURING STORE CONSTRUCTION Chicago − A project undertaken by the village of Homer Glen stands to benefit under a proposed agreement between Attorney General Lisa Madigan and retail giant Home Depot. If approved by the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB), the settlement, filed yesterday, requires the Delaware-based corporation to donate $15,000 that the village will apply toward construction costs of an off-road trail system. Home Depot also will pay a civil penalty of $15,000 to resolve Madigan’s March 2005 complaint that it allowed contractors to install six- and 10-inch water mains to the new store at 143 rd Street and Bell Road before obtaining a construction permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The agency discovered the violation during a routine inspection of the job site in September 2003 and referred the case to Madigan’s office. The violation was short-lived and corrected with IEPA’s issuance of an “As-Built” permit one month later. In 2005, Madigan reached similar agreements with Home Depot’s project engineer and contractor for their roles in the violation. Assistant Attorney General Zemeheret Bereket-Ab is handling the case for Madigan’s Environmental Protection Bureau.
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