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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Nov. 30, 1998
98-203
Contact: Sandy Howard, public information manager, (360) 407-6239
Garin Schrieve, site manager, (360) 407-6253
OLYMPIA -The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) today fined the Rayonier Port Angeles Mill $12,000 for releasing an estimated 1.2 million gallons of contaminated ground water into the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Oct. 11-22.
The partially treated ground water contained hydraulic oil and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which are toxic to humans and marine life. Fortunately, the pollutants were diluted sufficiently by the receiving waters that Ecology believes the release caused no imminent health threat.
"These are the kinds of industrial accidents that are happening all across our state far too often. Together, they cumulatively degrade Washington’s waters, waters that our endangered salmon and other species depend on for survival," said Laurie Davies, a solid-waste manager for Ecology.
She added that Rayonier’s failure to detect the release for 12 days contributed to the magnitude of the event.
The incident was caused by a combination of human error and a malfunctioning valve as water was being removed from contaminated soils below the groundwater table at Rayonier’s finishing room.
Under a cleanup order previously issued by Ecology, the waste water was intended to be stored in a large tank for future treatment and proper release.
PCBs are on Washington’s list of bioaccumulative chemicals of concern (BCCs), chemicals that are known to enter the food chain and build up in the tissues of animals and plants.
This Wednesday at the Tacoma Convention Center, Ecology is sponsoring a symposium on BCCs. National and international experts will discuss efforts that have been taken elsewhere to reduce and eliminate the release of these toxic chemicals.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
