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Department of Ecology News Release - April 24, 2006
06-071
Following is a summary of all penalties of $1,000 or more issued by the Department of Ecology (Ecology) during the first quarter (January, February, March) of 2006.
Ecology strives for voluntary compliance with environmental rules and regulations. When voluntary compliance is unsuccessful, Ecology may use increasingly stringent enforcement tools ranging from warning letters to monetary civil penalties and/or criminal prosecution.
The penalty money Ecology collects goes into the state general fund and/or special accounts so it can be sent back to communities for projects that benefit the environment.
Ecology issued $201,300 in civil penalties of $1,000 or more during the first quarter of 2006. Counting the $1,000-or-more penalties only, Ecology issued a total $1,851,321 of penalties in 2005.
| County of Violation | City of Violation | Date of Issue | Penalty Recipient | Description of violation | Amount Assessed | Media Contact |
| Asotin | Clarkston | 2/21/06 | Frank Johnson & Johnson Farms | Conducted agricultural burning without first obtaining a burn permit. | $3,500 | Jani Gilbert 509-329-3495 |
| Cowlitz | Longview | 2/1/06 | Longview Fibre Paper & Packaging | Failed to meet wastewater pollution limits in eight instances in December 2005. | $6,000 | Sandy Howard 360-407-6239 |
| Cowlitz | Longview | 3/30/06 | Longview Fibre Paper & Packaging | Failed to meet air pollution limits on Sept. 13, Oct 15 and Oct. 17, 2005. | $5,000 | Sandy Howard 360-407-6239 |
| Grant | Ephrata | 2/15/06 | Katana Industries Inc. | Violated air-quality emission limits set for an entire year in one month's time. | $7,000 | Jani Gilbert 509-329-3495 |
| Island | Oak Harbor | 3/3/06 | Krieg Concrete Products Inc. | Failed to submit wastewater discharge reports for four quarters in 2004 and 2005. | $2,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Island | Oak Harbor | 3/3/06 | Krieg Construction Inc. | Failed to submit wastewater discharge reports for four quarters in 2004 and 2005. | $2,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Whatcom | Blaine | 3/3/06 | Boundary Industries | Failed to submit wastewater discharge reports for four quarters in 2004 and 2005. | $2,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Jefferson | Port Townsend | 3/17/06 | Port Townsend Paper Corporation | Failed to meet air pollution limits on Dec. 13, 2005. | $2,000 | Sandy Howard 360-407-6239 |
| King | Renton | 3/3/06 | Manufacturers Mineral | Failed to submit wastewater discharge reports for four quarters in 2004 and 2005. | $2,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| King | Seattle | 1/10/06 | Arctic Storm Inc. | Spilled five gallons of diesel fuel to Elliott bay. | $1,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| King | Seattle | 1/12/06 | Sea Tac Airport (Port of Seattle) | Discharged highly turbid storm water to Miller Creek or Walker Creek on Oct. 13 and 31, Nov. 1 and 4, and Dec. 5 and 15, 2005. | $81,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| King | Seattle | 1/19/06 | Sea Tac Airport (Port of Seattle) | Discharged more than 2-million-gallons of untreated contaminated storm water to Des Moines Creek on Nov. 25, 2005. | $20,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| King | Seattle | 3/1/06 | West Point Treatment Plant (King County) | Discharged about 11 million gallons of untreated wastewater to Puget Sound on Feb. 3, 2006. | $4,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| King | Seattle | 3/27/06 | All Alaska Seafoods Inc. | Discharged about 11 million gallons of untreated wastewater to Puget Sound on Feb. 3, 2006. | $3,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Kitsap | Poulsbo | 1/20/06 | Courtesy Ford Inc. | Courtesy Ford employee spilled 5 gallons of gasoline at the Shell Subway station and departed without reporting the spill. | $1,500 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Kitsap | Poulsbo | 2/28/06 | Olhava Associates LLP | Discharged turbid storm water into Johnson Creek over a three day period. | $3,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Mason | Shelton | 3/23/06 | Welco-Skookum Lumber Co. | Discharged hydraulic fluid to the environment. | $4,000 | Sandy Howard 360-407-6239 |
| Okanogan | Omak | 3/15/06 | Herriman Speedy Tank Service Inc. | Disposed unscreened and untreated domestic septage to land in violation of regulations. | $6,000 | Joy Redfield-Wilder 509-575-2610 |
| San Juan | Friday Harbor | 3/3/06 | Friday Harbor Sand & Gravel | Failed to submit wastewater discharge reports for four quarters in 2004-2005. | $2,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| San Juan | Friday Harbor | 3/3/06 | Island Concrete Products | Failed to submit wastewater discharge reports for four quarters in 2004 and 2005. | $2,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Skagit | Mount Vernon | 1/20/06 | Hothi Enterprises Inc. | Spilled 10 gallons of diesel fuel that flowed through storm drains into Maddox Creek on Feb. 9, 2005. | $4,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Skagit | Mount Vernon | 2/28/06 | Skagit Highlands LLC & Boss Construction, Inc. | Discharged muddy water from a construction project into Nookachamps Creek on Jan. 20, 2006. | $17,500 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Snohomish | Stanwood | 3/3/06 | CMS 300 ST PIT | Failed to submit wastewater discharge reports for four quarters in 2004 and 2005. | $2,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Stevens | Kettle Falls | 2/15/06 | Boise Building Solutions | Violated air-quality emission limits as outlined in permit. | $9,800 | Jani Gilbert 509-329-3495 |
| Whatcom
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Bellingham | 2/24/06 | Yamato Engine Specialists | Violated discharge limits for lead in Jan., March, April, May 2005, and for zinc in Jan. and June, 2005. Failed to submit monthly discharge monitoring reports for flow & pH from June through Nov. 2004 and quarterly discharge monitoring reports in the third and fourth quarters of 2004. | $7,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
| Whatcom | Everson | 3/3/06 | Tom Crabtree | Failed to submit wastewater discharge reports for a gravel mine for four quarters in 2004 and 2005. | $2,000 | Larry Altose 425-649-7009 |
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