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Department of Ecology News Release - October 26, 2006
06-218
OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has levied an $11,000 penalty to Weyerhaeuser Co. of Longview for a 675 gallon diesel fuel spill that fouled a wetland in Cowlitz County in October 2004.
Weyerhaeuser spilled the fuel during operations to put a de-railed locomotive back on the tracks near the company's Green Mountain mill in north-central Cowlitz County, near Toutle and Kid Valley.
While the locomotive was being pulled onto the tracks, the company inadvertently pierced a fuel tank. The fine is due to the volume of fuel spilled to the environment and Weyerhaeuser's delayed notification to Ecology about the spill into the wetland.
The wetland is located close to Wyant Creek which drains into the North Fork of the Toutle River.
The company has paid Ecology $3,600 to reimburse the department for response costs and laboratory expenses. To help compensate the public for environmental damages from the spill, Weyerhaeuser also provided $15,593 to the Cowlitz Conservation District to purchase and deliver large woody debris as part of the Coweeman River fish enhancement project.
"We are pleased that Weyerhaeuser took full responsibility for the 675-gallon spill to the wetland, has already paid us for our response costs, and funded a unique fish enhancement project in the Coweeman River," said Jim Sachet, who oversees Ecology spill response activities in southwest Washington. "Most of the cleanup work in the wetland also was done quickly. However, wetlands are environmentally sensitive areas and can take years to fully recover. Ultimately, this was an oil spill that could have been prevented."
Weyerhaeuser spokesperson Kate Tate said: "Weyerhaeuser takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and regrets that this incident occurred. Soon after the spill, the company reviewed the circumstances that led to the spill, and we have taken clear measures to prevent these types of spills from re-occurring. We have modified our re-railing procedures so that fuel is removed from tanks prior to re-railing locomotives, and we have strengthened our notification processes."
All petroleum products are poisonous to the environment, and even a small amount of oil can contaminate thousands of gallons of water. It is illegal to spill oil into Washington waters.
Weyerhaeuser has 30 days to apply for relief and appeal the penalty to the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board.
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Contact: Curt Hart, public information manager, 360-407-6990; cell, 360-480-7908
Ecology's spills program Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
