CHICAGO — The federal Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed fines of up to $125,000 against three real estate developers, and said it would aggressively punish those who build illegally on protected wetlands.
"This is the first such action in the nation taken by the EPA under the new Clean Water Act," said Valdas Adamkus, regional administrator for the agency.
"Let it be a clear signal to developers throughout the country. . . . The EPA will no longer tolerate the wanton destruction of such a valuable and endangered resource as wetlands."
Two of the three projects Adamkus said had resulted in the illegal destruction of wetlands are in northwest suburban Chicago. The third is in Andover, Minn.
