by KYW's Jim Melwert
Drug-maker Merck and Company has reached a settlement over environmental violations at its Montgomery County plant -- including one spill that killed a thousand fish and affected Philadelphia's drinking water intakes.
Under the settlement, Merck will pay 20 million dollars for multiple Clean Water Act violations. The bulk of that money will be spent on systems designed to prevent future problems, according to US attorney Pat Meehan:
"There are new efforts that will be undertaken to control in a very specific way the chemicals at the Merck facility. They will build a second containment mechanism to prevent materials from ever leaving."
Meehan credits the company, saying the settlement is about ten times higher than any expected fines.
A Merck spokesman says they believe the settlement is fair, and they're pleased that it includes projects to benefit the local environment.
The three incidents happened during the summer of 2006, including one that caused county and state officials to warn against recreational activities on Wissahickon Creek for about a month.
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