DEQ fines McMinnville trucking company for dumping landfill leachate on the ground
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality levied nine fines in September for violations that included a trucking company dumping landfill leachate on the ground in McMinnville, a city discharging 400,000 gallons of wastewater to the Malheur River, and an auto manufacturer selling cars that violated Oregon’s clean air rules.
Those fined 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 or sponsoring an environmental improvement project instead of paying a penalty.
Here are the citations:
Mazda Motors of America, Irvine, $237,600: For delivering for sale in Oregon 44 new 2022 Mazda CX-5 vehicles that were not certified to the California Emission Standard, as required by Oregon’s Low Emission Vehicle rules.
Mike Gedenberg Trucking, Astoria, $39,090: For failing to immediately clean up a diesel fuel spill on Highway 202 after a truck owned by the company crashed.
Vigor Industrial, Portland, $15,300: For an overspray incident that occurred during ship coating operations at the company’s ship building and repair facility. The overspray coated cars in the employee parking lot and the surface of the Willamette River.
City of Ontario, $11,200: For discharging about 400,000 gallons of treated wastewater to the Malheur River when it was not authorized to do so. The city is not permitted to discharge wastewater to the river between May 1 and Oct. 31 because river flows are too low to assimilate pollutants in the wastewater.
Daniel and Claudia Campean, Corbett, $8,400: For operating construction equipment in a riparian buffer causing pollution in Deer Creek.
Westport Sewer Service District, Westport, $5,925: For exceeding the E. coli bacteria effluent limits in its wastewater discharge permit.
Chris Dials Contracting, Tillamook, $2,674: For operating a portable rock crusher without an air quality permit.
River Country Transport, McMinnville, $1,800: For deliberately dumping landfill leachate, which was supposed to be hauled away for proper disposal, onto the ground near Riverbend Landfill.
Sims Fiberglass, Albany, $1,500: For failure to provide required information to DEQ to determine whether the company needs an air quality permit.
Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips: tloew@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: DEQ fines trucking company for dumping landfill leachate on the ground
