Facts

San Diego Coastkeeper sued the U.S. Dept. of Defense, Robert M. Gates, the U.S. Navy, Ray Mabus, the U.S. Marine Corps, James Amos and Nicholas Marano in relation to the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base in northern San Diego County where 42,000 troops reside. The lawsuit stemmed from sewage spills taking place at Camp Pendleton, which leaked over into waterways and beaches.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS:
Plaintiff alleged that spills from Camp Pendleton harmed water quality in adjacent waterways, and amounted to violations of the Clean Water Act. In particular, plaintiff alleged that approximately two-dozen spills occurred between 2006 and 2010, causing 400,000 gallons of untreated sewage to reach waterways.

Result

Defendants agreed to limit the number of spills to 10 or less per year by 2017, and to inform environmental groups regarding spills that cause beach closures. In addition, defendants planned to increase inspections of sewage lines and to fix old pipes to prevent future spills.