DEQ fines Independence, Hatfield Marine Science Center

Tracy Loew, Salem Statesman Journal
·3 min read

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality levied 13 fines in March, totaling $372,645.

Among them were the City of Independence, which discharged more pollution than allowed to the Willamette River; Newport’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, which exceeded its permitted chlorine discharge levels; and Ashland homeowners who stored hazardous asbestos in a driveway.

Recipients can appeal their fines by requesting a hearing within 20 calendar days of receiving their penalty letter. DEQ sometimes reduces or eliminates fines after appeals.

Recipients also may be able to resolve part of their fines by completing an environmental improvement project instead of paying a penalty.

Here are the citations:

  • Douglas County Forest Products, Winchester, $207,496: For exceeding its permitted emission limit for opacity at its wood products mill 429 times between March 23 and March 30, 2022.

  • Gunderson, Portland, $63,000: For operating a railcar and marine barge manufacturing facility without the proper air pollution permit. The company’s permit expired Jan. 2, and it did not apply to renew the permit by the deadline. It has since done so, but the permit has not yet been approved.

  • Allen Hambleton, Lakeview, $57,867: For establishing and operating a disposal site without a permit. Hambleton has disposed of several hundred vehicles, more than 500 inoperable appliances, trailers, waste tires and 60 55-gallon drums of suspected fuel/water mixes on his property.

  • Forklift Services of Oregon, Portland, $9,182: For failing to collect water quality samples as required by its stormwater discharge permit, and failing to keep records of maintenance activities.

  • Kashmir Uppal, dba Butler Market South, Bend, $11,797: For failing to test spill prevention and overfill prevention equipment, failing to test release detection system, failing to conduct monthly and annual inspections and failing to maintain records of monitoring at its underground storage tank.

  • City of Independence, $8,377: For discharging more pollutants to the Willamette River than allowed by its wastewater permit, for failing to monitor wastewater for pollutants, and for failing to timely submit a plan for meeting new residual chlorine effluent limits.

  • OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, $6,800: For discharging more chlorine-produced oxidants than allowed by its wastewater permit, in some cases by as much as 10 times the amount allowed, and for failing to report the exceedances, as required by the permit.

  • CPI Salem ONE, Salem, $3,200: For failing to submit an annual report for its electrical power production operation at 5475 Gaffin Road SE, as required by its air quality permit.

  • Carson Waller and Justin McCreadie, Ashland, $2,565: For failing to properly dispose of asbestos-containing materials from a residence by storing it in a driveway in loose plastic packaging and disposing of the pile several days later at a location not authorized to accept asbestos.

  • Basque Station, Jordan Valley, $1,200: For failing to submit a timely and complete annual report as required by its air quality permit.

  • Anant Pacific, Hermiston, $412: For failing to submit a timely and complete annual report as required by its air quality permit.

  • Borde, Albany, $412: For failing to submit an annual report as required by its air quality permit.

  • Wolf Creek General Store, Glendale, $337: For failing to submit a timely annual report as required by its air quality permit.

Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips to tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: DEQ fines Independence, Hatfield Marine Science Center