City of Tyler Fined for Fish Kill

SMITH COUNTY � The city of Tyler will repair a leaking conduit on the Whitehouse dam under a penalty assessed by the state Wednesday for fish-killing sewage discharges two years ago. According to the Longview News-Journal, the work is in lieu of a $41,400 fine outlined in an agreed order approved in Austin Wednesday by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Entities that are fined by the commission often have an option to perform a Supplemental Environmental Project for some neighbor. Documents published online Wednesday do not describe the fish kill but list it as justification for the fine. The documents also indicate the city has taken corrective action to prevent further unauthorized discharges. According to online documents, Tyler was cited for 16 unauthorized discharges, from September 2009 to June 2010, from its two wastewater treatment plant networks.