The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has settled a lawsuit against a local trailer park over alleged sewage contamination in a local stream.

James Vaccaro, owner of Pleasant Oaks Mobile Home Park, was able to avoid immediate penalties in the settlement with state attorneys. The attorney general’s office sued Vaccaro in 2018 for alleged violation of the state’s clean water law.

The terms of the settlement, which was approved by Warren County Presiding Judge Jason Lamb Feb. 21, require the mobile home park to pay an $8,000 fine if any further wastewater violations occur within the next three years. The park will also be fined $100 to $300 per day for any new violation.

Pleasant Oaks is located just east of Wright City along the Interstate 70 North Service Road. Water from the park’s wastewater treatment facility drains into a tributary of Indian Camp Creek to the north. 

The lawsuit was the result of multiple failed inspections by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 2016 and 2017, according to court documents. High levels of E. coli bacteria, “solids,” and higher than acceptable chemical concentrations were found in water samples from the facility, according to court documents.

The settlement agreement states Pleasant Oaks is currently in compliance with the state’s clean water law. Vaccaro had been facing the prospect of a civil trial in front of Judge Lamb before agreeing to the settlement.

Vaccaro and the mobile home park won’t be held responsible for any violations that occur because of “an act of God” or vandalism, according to the settlement. But the state specifically reserves the right to bring new civil or criminal charges if any other violations come to light.