SCARBOROUGH, Maine — The owners of a campground in Scarborough, Maine, have agreed to pay a $227,500 penalty and restore wetlands for environmental violations.
Bayley’s Camping Resort, Bayley Hill Deer and Trout Farm Inc., and related entities signed a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice over claims they illegally polluted and filled in wetlands.
The consent decree won’t become final until after a public comment period.
An attorney for Fred and Kathleen Bayley says no wetlands were filled and that the couple, both 77, settled with the EPA to avoid a "long, expensive" fight. He says the campground operations aren’t affected.
The federal government says the Scarborough Marsh is Maine’s largest contiguous salt marsh system, providing habitat for wildlife and filtering pollution from the water.