DEQ fines Stayton sand and gravel company for polluting North Santiam River

Tracy Loew, Salem Statesman Journal
·3 min read
1
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in August fined Knife River NW of Stayton for discharging stormwater from its mining facility directly into the North Santiam River without a permit.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in August fined Knife River NW of Stayton for discharging stormwater from its mining facility directly into the North Santiam River without a permit.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality levied 19 fines in August, totaling $218,576.

Among them were a Stayton sand and gravel company causing stormwater pollution to the North Santiam River, a Lane County city discharging too much ammonia from its sewage treatment system and a gas company submitting inaccurate greenhouse gas emissions data.

Knife River, the sand and gravel company, immediately repaired its stormwater system, spokesman Jay Frank said.

"DEQ recognized our swift corrective measures in the notice that followed the inspection report," he said.

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 sponsoring an environmental improvement project instead of paying a penalty.

Here are the citations:

City of Rainier, $31,550: For exceeding wastewater permit limits and discharging untreated sewage at least twice from its sewage treatment plant to the Columbia River.

Nehalem Bay Ready Mix Mohler Sand and Gravel, Nehalem, $28,216: For failing to implement its erosion and sediment control plan, and for discharging turbid stormwater to Anderson Creek.

Pacific Seafood - Brookings Harbor, $28,000: For exceeding pollutant effluent limits and violating monitoring requirements in its wastewater permit.

Alliance Pacific Northwest Builders, Portland, $23,271: For failing to maintain effective erosion and sediment controls; failing to complete monitoring; failing to revise its erosion and sediment control plan; and generating false monitoring report during construction of a five-story, 284-unit apartment building in Portland.

Petrogas, statewide, $13,200: For submitting an inaccurate 2021 greenhouse gas emissions data report and failing to correct reporting errors identified by a third-party verifier.

Hattenhauer Distributing, The Dalles, $12,800: For submitting an inaccurate Clean Fuels Program annual report and failing to correct reporting errors.

Western Royal Inn, Tillamook, $12,000: For discharging untreated sewage from a broken sewer line into the Dougherty Slough.

Venture Properties, Wilsonville, $11,989: For failing to implement its erosion and sediment control plan.

Todd Wayne McCloskey, Brookings, $10,441: For disposing of at least 20 vehicles, vehicle parts, about 100 waste tires, furniture, appliances, construction and demolition waste, and household garbage at his residential property without a permit.  DEQ also ordered the removal and proper disposal of the waste.

Associated Petroleum Products, statewide, $7,200: For late submittal of a third-party verification statement for its 2021 emissions data report. DEQ also cited the company for an inaccurate 2021 greenhouse gas emissions data report.

Silver Eagle Manufacturing, Portland, $6,854: For failing to meet the monitoring requirements in its industrial stormwater permit.

City of Haines, $5,814: For violating E. coli and other pollutant effluent limits and monitoring requirements in the wastewater permit for its sewage treatment system.

Microchip Technology, Gresham, $5,541: For illegally disposing of hazardous waste solvent into the City of Gresham's sewer system.

Stimson Lumber Company, Clatskanie, $5,200: For failing to collect monitoring data for oil and grease as required by its water pollution permit.

Morse Bros. dba Knife River NW, Stayton, $5,200: For discharging stormwater from its mining facility directly into the North Santiam River without a permit.

City of Powers, $4,600: For exceeding effluent limits in the wastewater permit for its sewage treatment system.

City of Junction City, $3,250: For exceeding monthly average concentration and daily maximum concentration limits for ammonia in wastewater from its sewage treatment system.

Eagle Landing Resources, Oregon City, $2,850: For failing to implement its erosion and sediment control plan at a construction site in Happy Valley.

Valley View Mobile Estates, Coquille, $600: For failing to meet the deadline for connecting its property to City of Coquille's sewer system.

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 Stayton gravel company for polluting North Santiam River