Department of Attorney General and EGLE Take Action Against Bay County Contractor for Illegal Destruction of Wetlands

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced that the Department of Attorney General and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) have filed a lawsuit against P & P Contracting Services, Inc., Paul Satkowiak, and Prizza Satkowiak, for their destruction of regulated wetlands in Bay County. 

P & P Contracting Services, Inc. is alleged to have illegally dredged and drained surface water from the wetlands and filled nearly five acres of the wetlands with, among other things, harmful sugar beet production waste. Lab results show that the defendants’ activities have injured surface waters, resulting in the destruction of regulated wetlands and the harmful discharge of injurious materials into state waters. Despite EGLE’s warnings and a directive to stop, defendants’ have continued their illegal activities.  

“We depend on our wetlands to filter our drinking water and provide habitat for our wildlife,” said Nessel. “It remains our priority to protect the wetlands and the waters of our state. We will not hesitate to hold bad actors accountable who destroy our natural resources for their own personal gain.”  

P & P Contracting Services is a contracting company that hauls and disposes of production waste from sugar beet processing in Bay County. Prizza Satkowiak is the company’s registered president and director, and Paul Satkowiak its operator. In late summer or early fall of 2020, Mr. Satkowiak acquired an interest in a roughly 15.84-acre parcel of property in Bay County, a large portion of which is a regulated wetland.

“Michigan’s wetlands are critical to a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem, and we are obligated to act when a blatant violation of wetlands and water protection laws like this one take place,” said Jerrod Sanders, assistant director of EGLE’s Water Resources Division. “This company and these individuals were not receptive to efforts to work cooperatively to resolve these substantial violations. That led us to take this legal action to protect Michiganders from the damage done to important freshwater resources that benefit all Michigan residents.” 

This lawsuit seeks relief under the Michigan Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to hold the defendants accountable for their destruction of the state’s natural resources, and to restore the wetlands to their prior condition. 

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