CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Pot Scheepvaart B.V. Handelskade West 28A 9934 AA Delfzijl Article No. RR 308 099 018 US Victoriaborg B.V. Markstraat 10 9934 CK Delfzijl Article No. RR 308 099 021 US C.V. Scheepvaatondernerning Virginiaborg Markstraat 10 9934 CK Delfzijl Article No. RR 308 099 035 US Wagenborg Shipping B.V. Marktsraat 10 9934 CK Delfzijl Article No. RR 308 099 049 US Royal Wagenborg Markstraat 10 9930 AA Delfzijl Article No. RR 308 099 052 US Charles Hilleren, President Guthrie-Hubner Inc. 802 Garfield Ave. P.O. Box 458 Article No. 70070220000399150779 Donna Klukas, Branch Mgr. A.N. Deringer, Inc. d/b/a Buchanan Customs Brokers & Agency 802 Garfield Ave. Article No. 70070220000399151660 Mark McLennan, President David L. Sauer, Operations Manager S.A. McLennan Company 301 W. 1st St., Ste. 306 Article No. 70070220000399151677 Daniel Sydow, President Daniel s Shipping Services Inc. 605 Board of Trade Bldg. Article No. 70070220000399151684 Captain Bill Peterson, Fleet Administrator Key Lakes Inc./GLF 212 S. 37th Ave. W., Ste. 200 Duluth, Minnesota 55807-2819 Article No. 70070220000399151691 Subject: Notice of Intent to Sue Pursuant to the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1365 Dear Messrs. or Mmes.:
Page 2 I represent the National Wildlife Federation, the Minnesota Conservation Federation, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the Prairie Rivers Network, the Indiana Wildlife Federation, the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, the League of Ohio Sportsmen and Ohio Wildlife Federation, and the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Pursuant to 505 of the Clean Water Act ( CWA ), 33 U.S.C. 1365, I am writing on their behalf to give you sixty days notice of their intent to file a citizen suit against Pot Scheepvaart B.V., Victoriaborg B.V., C.V. Scheepvaatondernerning Virginiaborg, and Wagenborg Shipping B.V., and any parent or successor corporations, for violating 301(a) and 402 of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. 1311(a) and 1342. The CWA prohibits any person from discharging any pollutant, including, but not limited to, biological materials, from a point source, including, but not limited to, a vessel, to waters of the United States except as authorized by a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ( NPDES ) permit. The failure to secure a NPDES permit constitutes an ongoing violation of the CWA. Discharging ballast water containing species not indigenous to the Great Lakes, regardless of the precise date or place of the discharge, degrades and threatens the waters of the Great Lakes because such species have the potential to spread rapidly to other areas and increase vastly in number, either on their own or when taken on with ballast water in one port and discharged with ballast water in another port. My clients intend to file suit against Pot Scheepvaart B.V., Victoriaborg B.V., C.V. Scheepvaatondernerning Virginiaborg, and Wagenborg Shipping B.V. because, on the basis of the best information available and belief, they have violated and are engaged in ongoing violations of the CWA by owning or operating vessels which have, when loading cargo, discharged and are likely to continue discharging ballast water, taken up at various locations, containing biological materials or other pollutants, to Lake Superior in or near the Port of Duluth-Superior, or to Lake Michigan in or near the Port of Menominee, without a NPDES permit issued by an authorized agency pursuant to 402 of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. 1342. The CWA prohibits any point source, including, but not limited to, a vessel, from discharging any pollutants, including, but not limited to, biological materials, to waters of the United States except as authorized by a NPDES permit. On the basis of the best information available to us, we believe that the violations mentioned above include, but are not limited to, the following specific discharges by the following vessels owned or operated by Pot Scheepvaart B.V., Victoriaborg B.V., C.V. Scheepvaatondernerning Virginiaborg, or Wagenborg Shipping B.V.: Discharges of ballast water containing biological materials by the Kwintebank to Lake Superior in or near the Port of Duluth-Superior on or about: o July 3, 2003, o October 11, 2004, o June 6, 2005,
Page 3 o October 17, 2005, o April 14, 2006, o July 14, 2006, o September 11, 2006, and o November 13, 2006. Discharges of ballast water containing biological materials by the Victoriaborg to Lake Superior in or near the Port of Duluth-Superior on or about: o May 14, 2003, o November 24, 2003, o May 27, 2004, o September 18, 2004, o November 5, 2004, o October 21, 2005, o December 9, 2005, o April 29, 2006, o July 19, 2006, and o October 28, 2006. Discharges of ballast water containing biological materials by the Virginiaborg to Lake Superior in or near the Port of Duluth-Superior on or about: o July 13, 2003, o August 3, 2004, o November 11, 2004, o April 24, 2006, o June 23, 2006, o August 22, 2006, and o November 17, 2006. These incidents demonstrate a continuing likelihood that such violations will recur because the vessels owned or operated by Pot Scheepvaart B.V., Victoriaborg B.V., C.V. Scheepvaatondernerning Virginiaborg, or Wagenborg Shipping B.V. regularly visit the Great Lakes and discharge ballast water when loading cargo at Great Lakes ports. My clients intend to commence a civil action in sixty days, pursuant to 505 of the Clean Water Act ( CWA ), 33 U.S.C. 1365, to prosecute these incidents and similar or related violations, including all violations which occur or continue to occur after service of this notice, and all other violations revealed in the course of the litigation discovery process. My clients reserve the right to modify the descriptions of the incidents described in this letter either upon the commencement of the civil action or afterwards, depending upon revelations that may occur in the course of the litigation discovery process. Pot Scheepvaart B.V.,
Page 4 Victoriaborg B.V., C.V. Scheepvaatondernerning Virginiaborg, or Wagenborg Shipping B.V. will remain in violation of the CWA each day that the Kwintebank, Victoriaborg, or Virginiaborg, or any other vessel that they own or operate, discharge any pollutants, including, but not limited to, ballast water containing biological materials, to the waters of the United States without a NPDES permit. The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of my clients are as follows: National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Natural Resource Center 213 West Liberty Street, Suite 200 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-1398 (734) 769-3351 Minnesota Conservation Federation 542 Snelling Avenue South, #104 Saint Paul, Minnesota 55116-1525 (651) 690-3077 Wisconsin Wildlife Federation W7303 County Highway CS Poynette, Wisconsin 53955 (608) 635-2742 Prairie Rivers Network 809 South Fifth Street Champaign, Illinois 61820 (217) 344-2371 Indiana Wildlife Federation 4715 West 106th Street Zionsville, Indiana 46077 (317) 875-9453 Michigan United Conservation Clubs 2101 Wood Street Lansing, Michigan 48912-3785 (517) 371-1505 League of Ohio Sportsmen and Ohio Wildlife Federation 642 West Broad Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 (614) 224-8970 Alliance for the Great Lakes 17 North State Street, Suite 1390 Chicago, Illinois 60602 (312) 939-0838 In the interest of resolving this matter through negotiation, my clients invite Pot Scheepvaart B.V., Victoriaborg B.V., C.V. Scheepvaatondernerning Virginiaborg, and Wagenborg Shipping B.V. to discuss the issues raised in this letter. Please direct all correspondence and inquiries to Neil S. Kagan at the address, phone number, or fax indicated on the letterhead. Yours truly,
Page 5 Neil S. Kagan Senior Counsel cc via Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested: Brad Moore, MPCA Commissioner Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 520 Lafayette Road St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4194 Article No. 70070220000399150786 Assistant Commissioner, Water Policy Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 520 Lafayette Road St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4194 Article No. 70070220000399151042 Doug LaFollette, Secretary of State Office of the Secretary P.O. Box 7848 Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7848 Article No. 70070220000399151707 Todd Ambs, Water Division Administrator DNR Central Office Madison 101 South Webster St. P.O. Box 7921 Madison, Wisconsin 53707 Article No. 70070220000399151714
Page 6 Steven Chester, Director Michigan Department of Environmental Quality 525 West Allegan Street P.O. Box 30473 Lansing, Michigan 48909-7973 Article No. 70070220000399151189 Richard A. Powers, Chief Water Bureau Michigan Department of Environmental Quality P.O. Box 30273 Lansing, Michigan 48909 Article No. 70070220000399151196 Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1101A Ariel Rios Building 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20460 Article No. 70070220000399150885 Mary A. Gade, Regional Administrator U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 77 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago, Illinois 60604-3507 Article No. 70070220000399151721 Alberto R. Gonzales Attorney General United States of America U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530-0001 Article No. 70070220000399151738