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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Sept. 24, 1998
98-169
Contact: Ron Langley, Public Information, (425) 649-7009
"This company has shown consistently bad housekeeping practices," said John Glynn, regional manager for water quality. "We've worked with them for several years to make improvements but the problems remain. At one site they're polluting a salmon-bearing river, while at the other they pose a threat to drinking water. This has to stop."
Fiorito Brothers has been issued two penalties for $12,000 each. The first penalty pertains to the company's AAA Monroe Rock Corporation gravel pit in Monroe, and the second to its Homestead Valley pit near North Bend.
During a recent inspection at the Monroe site, oil stains were found on bare soil in several places and a pool of oil was found under a storage shed for diesel and lubricants. Inspectors also found that a concrete containment berm around the lubrication area was never built, even though it is required in the company's state water-quality permit. These conditions create a high risk of ground water contamination in an area where at least two drinking-water wells are located within one-quarter mile.
At the second site in North Bend, Fiorito Brothers has allowed muddy water to flow into the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River from its gravel pit. The company was required by Ecology to complete a stormwater treatment system nearly two years ago, but the system still hasn't been built and muddy water continues to flow into the river. In addition, the company is three years behind on quarterly reports on water quality in the river near its operation.
Muddy water released to a stream threatens the health and habitat of fish, especially salmon that spawn in inland rivers and creeks.
Fiorito Brothers has appealed both penalties to the Pollution Control Hearings Board, which has first jurisdiction on state water-quality enforcement actions.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
