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Department of Ecology News Release - November 13, 2006
06-234
Following is a summary of all penalties of $1,000 or more issued by the Department of Ecology during the third quarter (July, August, September) of 2006. All together, Ecology has issued $689,155 in penalties this year.
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.
| County of Violation | City of Violation | Date of Issue | Penalty Recipient | Description of violation | Amount Assessed | Media Contact |
| Asotin | Clarkston | 4/3/2006 | Steelman Duff, Inc. | Twice violated the "visible emissions" portion of temporary air quality permit for a portable rock crusher at the Bayman Pit. | $7,000 | Jani Gilbert, 509-329-3495 |
| Cowlitz | Longview | 9/27/06 | Longview Fibre | Discharged wastewater that did not meet permit limits. | $ 5,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Grays Harbor | Aberdeen | 7/28/2006 | Bayview Redi Mix | Conducted operations that harmed the environment and violated state regulations. | $25,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Grays Harbor | Hoquiam | 9/1/2006 | Ocean Protein LLC | Discharged high-strength fish waste water onto farm land without a state waste discharge permit. | $12,500 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Grays Harbor | McCleary | 7/5/2006 | Sam’s Food Market | Operated underground fuel tank without permits, lacked financial security and failed to report a fuel spill. | $ 1,100 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239
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| Jefferson | 7/19/2006 | Mats Mats Bay, Puget Sound | Spilled nearly 50 gallons of oil into Mats Mats Bay, north of Port Ludlow after the vessel sank while moored in Dec. 2005. | $12,000 | Mary-Ellen Voss, 360-407-7211 | |
| Jefferson | Port Townsend | 9/5/2006 | Port Townsend Paper | Plant’s emissions failed to meet limits in air operating permit. | $ 2,500 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| King | Buckley | 8/14/2006 | Mud Mountain Dam U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | Failed to provide overfill protection, failed to comply with corrosion testing, and failed to comply with release-detection requirements. | $ 1,500 | Shannon Sullivan 360-738-6247 |
| King | Seattle | 8/2/2006 | Morris & Co dba Ocean Alexander | Failed to monitor and report stormwater discharges in June and Oct. 2004 and Sept. 2005. | $ 2,000 | Shannon Sullivan 360-738-6247 |
| Kitsap | Port Gamble | 7/13/2006 | Passage Tug and Barge LLC | Tug boat “Active” released 197 gallons of diesel into the Duwamish River. | $ 7,000 | Shannon Sullivan 360-738-6247 |
| Klickitat | White Salmon | 8/25/2006 | James Dean Construction | Failed to obtain a temporary permit before operating a portable rock crusher. | $ 1,500 | Joye Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610 |
| Pacific | Raymond | 8/24/2006 | Willapa Harbor Port | Allowed high-strength fish waste water to enter the Raymond sewer plant, where it caused two weeks of operational problems last March. | $24,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Pacific | Raymond | 8/24/2006 | Micromarine Pacific Gro LLC | Allowed high-strength fish waste water to enter the Raymond sewer plant, where it caused two weeks of operational problems last March. | $10,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Pend Oreille | Metaline Falls | 8/11/2006 | Pend Oreille Mine, Teck Cominco | Violated its wastewater discharge permit’s average monthly effluent limit for lead. | $ 4,500 | Jani Gilbert, 509-329-3495
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| Pierce | Tacoma | 7/18/2006 | Emerald Services | Failed to report a toxic spill into a stormwater-collection vault, which led to an explosion 13 days later. | $42,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Pierce | Fife | 9/25/2006 | L&L Nursery Supply | Failed to properly manage and dispose of stockpiled garden and pool chemicals. | $83,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Pierce | Roy | 7/18/2006 | Wilcox Farms Inc. | Contaminated underground water supplies due to mismanagement of manure and compost. | $ 8,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Pierce | Tacoma | 8/23/2006 | Tucci & Sons Inc. | Spilled hydraulic oil onto roadway, failed adequately clean it up, and failed to notify authorities. | $ 2,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Spokane | Spokane | 9/12/2006 | Spokane Sewer Maintenance Dept. | Discharged untreated wastewater from combined sewer overflow system outfall during dry weather July 8-11,2006. | $ 8,000 | Jani Gilbert, 509-329-3495 |
| Whatcom | Bellingham | 7/25/2006 | Mountain West Senior | Violated construction stormwater permit between Nov. 2005 and Nov. 2006 including allowing contaminated discharge into Spring Creek. | $48,000 | Shannon Sullivan 360-738-6247 |
| Whatcom | Bellingham | 7/25/2006 | Maddox Construction LLC | Between Nov. 2005 and Nov. 2006, discharged contaminated water without a permit into Spring Creek, a salmon-bearing stream. | $60,000 | Shannon Sullivan 360-738-6247 |
The following penalty was assessed in the first quarter of 2006. However, the final documentation was not complete until the third quarter. This penalty was not reflected in the January-February-March, 2006 Penalty Summary.
| County of Violation | City of Violation | Date of Issue | Penalty Recipient | Description of violation | Amount Assessed | Media Contact |
| King | Seattle | 3/28/2006 | Island Tug & Barge Company | Tug vessel “Island Brave” discharged about 2,094 gallons of diesel lube and hydraulic oils into the Duwamish River when the vessel sank following damage to its rudder shaft packing seal. | $10,000 | Shannon Sullivan 360-738-6247 |
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