State And Real Estate Developers Settle Civil Charges For Environmental Violations

Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager announced that her office has settled a case brought against three related companies engaged in the real estate development business in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin:  R. Hall Builders, Inc., Hometown Development, LLC, and Main Street Realty of Sheboygan Falls, Inc., all of which were alleged to be under the ownership and control of Robert A. Hall.  The lawsuit alleged that in the past the companies had violated various erosion control laws at two of their Sheboygan County residential real estate developments:  a 16-acre site once known as Wild Goose Run; and a 40-acre site known as Gemuetlichkeit Village.  The alleged violations at both sites have now ceased and the defendants have agreed to pay penalties and costs totaling $50,000 to resolve their liabilities for any past violations.

The lawsuit alleged that, on various occasions from 2001 to 2005, the defendants failed to comply with a number of provisions of the erosion control plan which had been developed for the Wild Goose Run real estate development site.  The primary allegations were that they failed to stabilize disturbed soils in a timely manner to minimize the amount of soil eroding from the site.  The complaint alleged a smaller number and duration of violations at the Gemuetlichkeit Village project site, primarily relating to the defendants' alleged failures in January 2005 to install and maintain required erosion control devices before beginning and during land-disturbing construction activities. 

Attorney General Lautenschlager said:  "The erosion of sediments from construction sites like this one can damage our state's waterways."  To their credit, she added, these defendants have committed to promptly remedy any remaining problems at the site and to pay an appropriate penalty.

The Department of Justice brought the case at the request of the DNR.  Assistant Attorney General Thomas Dosch represented the state.