Oregon DEQ fines 13 entities, including Eugene lumber manufacturer
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality levied 13 fines in December, totaling $273,022.
Among those penalized was a Eugene lumber manufacturer that failed to monitor stormwater releases; a Halsey pulp mill exceeding the carbon monoxide limits of its air quality permit; an Astoria company spilling septic tank contents; and Coos Bay government agencies burning a building with asbestos for fire practice.
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 sponsoring an environmental improvement project instead of paying a penalty.
Here are the citations:
Coos Bay School District, Coos Bay, $56,676: For allowing the Coos Bay Fire Department to conduct a burn-to-learn exercise to demolish a building at 417 Madison St. that contained significant amounts of asbestos-containing materials.
Coos Bay Fire Department, Coos Bay, $38,100: For conducting a burn-to-learn exercise to demolish a building owned by the Coos Bay School District that contained significant amounts of asbestos-containing materials.
Cascade Pacific Pulp, Halsey, $52,800: For exceeding carbon monoxide limits in its air quality permit between October 2020 and March 2022 at its kraft pulp mill.
Emerick Construction, West Linn, $43,200: For discharging turbid stormwater to wetlands and the Tualatin River during construction of the new Athey Creek Middle School in West Linn.
West-Linn Wilsonville School District, West Linn, $36,600: For violations of its stormwater permit during construction of the new Athey Creek Middle School in West Linn.
City of Cascade Locks: $9,600: For discharging non-disinfected wastewater to the Columbia River in violation of wastewater disposal permit. The city also was fined for failing to comply with monitoring requirements.
Union County Solid Waste District, La Grande, $9,000: For failing to maintain the leachate, gas collection systems and groundwater monitoring wells at the closed Fox Hill Landfill.
Valley Milling & Lumber, Eugene, $8,750: For failing to perform required stormwater monitoring.
North West Septic, $7,063, Astoria: For pumping septage back into a septic tank and releasing a 180-foot trail of septage onto the ground at a residential property in Astoria following a dispute over payment.
FCC Commercial Furniture, Roseburg, $3,300: For failing to submit a timely annual report. DEQ issued the penalty because it was a repeat violation for the facility.
Herman Capital, Portland, $3,126: For failing to perform required monitoring and testing of a 30,000-gallon underground diesel fuel storage tank at Hollywood Chevron, at 4719 NE Sandy Blvd.
Columbia Room, Hood River, $2,567: For failing to perform required monitoring and testing of a 40,000-gallon underground gasoline storage tank at Marina Chevron, at 949 E. Marina Drive.
D.M. Stevenson Ranch, Hood River, $2,240: Failing to perform required monitoring and testing of a 40,000-gallon underground gasoline storage tank at Hood River Shell, 1046 Marina Drive.
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 13 entities, including Eugene lumber manufacturer
