The owners of land in Delaware where a huge mound of dirt damaged a highway bridge have been served with violation notices by state environmental regulators.
The notices are the first effort by the state to recoup repair costs estimated at $45 million.
The News Journal of Wilmington reports that the DuPont Co. and Wilmington-based Alma Properties LLC received letters claiming numerous violations of state law or administrative code.
The letters from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control don't assign blame for the damage but list violations that could lead to fines of up to $2,000 a day.
The bridge carries Interstate 495 over a river. It was closed in June because support columns were tilting. The southbound lanes reopened July 31 and the northbound lanes are expected to reopen by Labor Day.
