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Department of Ecology News Release - December 28, 2006
06-270
YAKIMA - The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has issued a $14,000 fine to a housing development in Chelan County for violating water quality laws and allowing sediment runoff to pollute Camas Creek, 10 miles north of Blewett Pass.
Since April, state inspectors with the departments of Ecology, Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife have identified numerous violations related directly to the land clearing, grading, and filling activities to prepare the property for residential development.
Soils have been destabilized as a result of tree and shrub removal, causing erosion of soil into the creek.
"Development activities at this site have gone on with virtually no environmental safeguards in place," explained Denise Mills, an Ecology water-quality manager in Yakima. "Over the last year, the developers have been provided extensive technical assistance to help them come into compliance, but to no avail."
On Nov. 7, Ecology inspectors observed muddy water discharging from the site into a tributary of Camas Creek. Water samples showed turbidity levels considerably higher than water-quality standards allow.
On Nov. 13, Ecology issued an administrative order requiring the development and its proponents, Kevin Kelly and Darren Buck, to:
The developers have 30 days to pay the penalty, apply for relief from the penalty or appeal the penalty to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board.
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Media contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
