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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 1998
98-129
Contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509)
575-2610
Sue Billings, air quality supervisor, (509) 575-2486
YAKIMA - A rock-crushing company has been issued a $24,000 civil penalty for failing to control dust emissions at four gravel pits in Central and Eastern Washington during the past two years.
DeAtley Company Inc., of Lewiston, Idaho, has been issued the penalty by the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) for air quality violations at two portable rock-crushing sites in Klickitat County and one each in Lincoln and Asotin counties. The action follows repeated efforts by Ecology to work with the gravel-mining firm on ways to control the dust generated by such operations.
"Over the last six years, this company has received warning letters, correction notices and training programs offered by Ecology," said Sue Billings, air quality supervisor for Ecology's Central Region. "Nevertheless, the company continues to violate air-quality regulations and now faces a financial penalty for those actions."
In addition to the penalty, Ecology has issued a "notice of violation" to DeAtley for more-recent air-quality violations at another rock-crushing site in Klickitat County. A notice of violation alerts the alleged violator that Ecology is considering a penalty action. Ecology has not yet decided whether additional penalties will be issued to DeAtley.
"This may not be as big as the Asian dust cloud or the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, but this stuff does move around once it is emitted," said Billings. "Locally, airborne dust can damage crops and sensitive equipment, impair safety on roads and highways, and create a general nuisance for neighbors and nearby businesses."
Fine dust particles can be harmful to the human respiratory system, notes Myria Foisy, an air quality inspector for Ecology.
"We prefer to work cooperatively with rock-crushing operations to help them find solutions to their dust-control problems and to respect others by preventing their emissions from becoming airborne," Foisy said. "When that doesn't produce results, Ecology turns to formal enforcement."
State law requires owners or operators of sources of dust emissions, such as gravel pits and construction projects, to take reasonable precautions to prevent dust from becoming airborne and to take steps to minimize emissions. It is illegal to cause or permit airborne dust to cross property lines and affect another person's health, property or business, or interfere with the use and enjoyment of another person's property.
DeAtley may appeal the penalty to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
