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Department of Ecology News Release - January 20, 2009
09-016
The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has issued a summary of all penalties of $1,000 or more, totaling $379,000 during the fourth quarter (October, November, December) of 2008.
For all of 2008, Ecology issued $1,561,619 in penalties of $1,000 or more.
Ecology works with thousands of business and individuals to ensure compliance with laws written to protect Washington’s air, land and water resources. Penalties are issued in cases where non-compliance continues after Ecology has provided technical assistance or warnings, or for particularly serious violations.
The money owed from penalties may be reduced from the issued amount due to a ruling by the Environmental Hearings Board or a negotiated settlement. Ecology doesn’t benefit from penalty payments. The final penalty amount owed and collected is deposited in special accounts that pay for:
For more detail about Ecology’s enforcement policy and actions, please see the 2007 Enforcement Report at www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0801015.pdf
| County of Violation | City of Violation | Date Issued | Penalty Recipient | Description of Violation | Amount | Media Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clallam | Port Angeles | 10/28/08 | MASCO Petroleum/Pacific Pride Fuel | Workers routinely flushed oil-contaminated water to stormwater system. Oil/water separator failed and allowed oil products to flush to the retention pond and into Tumwater Creek. | $1,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Clark | Vancouver | 12/3/08 | KP McNamara NW Inc | KP McNamara sent dangerous waste off-site without proper documentation, used a transporter without appropriate credentials, and sent the waste to a facility that hadn’t been confirmed as appropriate to accept. Other violations included lack of secondary containment in storage areas; improper labeling of storage totes; operating as an unpermitted dangerous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility. | $20,000 Related news release |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Clark | Vancouver | 12/11/08 | Pasifik Gemi Isletmeciligi Ve Ticarit A.S. (Istanbul, Turkey) | During a fuel transfer on Dec. 30, 2007, a fuel tank on the merchant vessel Zeynep Kiran overflowed, spilling 25 gallons of oil to the deck of the fueling barge and one gallon to the Columbia River. | $9,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Cowlitz | Kalama | 11/20/08 | Steelscape Inc. | Steel products manufacturer illegally discharged caustic industrial wastewater, causing damage to the Port of Kalama domestic wastewater treatment facility. | $12,000 Related news release |
Kim Schmanke,
360-407-6239 |
| Franklin | 11/6/08 | Randy Roylance | On July 29, 2008, Ecology staff found Randy Roylance conducted field burning when all field burning fires were supposed to be 'dead out,' in violation of general agricultural burning permit conditions. | $3,500 | Cathy Cochrane, 509-329-3433 or Jani Gilbert, 509-329-3495 |
|
| Franklin | Othello | 10/9/08 | Michael A. corrales | On July 29, 2008, Ecology staff found Michael A. Corrales burning fields when all field burning fires were supposed to be 'dead out,' in violation of general agricultural burning permit conditions. | $4,500 | Cathy Cochrane, 509-329-3433 or Jani Gilbert, 509-329-3495 |
| Grays Harbor | Aberdeen | 12/18/08 | Ryan J. Allen | Ryan Allen attempted to siphon gasoline from the Wishkah Valley School’s above-ground tank on Feb. 3, 2008. Approximately 350 gallons of fuel spilled after he left the scene. Fuel reached groundwater and a tributary of the Wishkah River. | $49,000 Related news release |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| King | Seattle | 12/5/08 | MKT Southpark LLC | Spilled approx. 60 gallons of diesel fuel June 14, 2008, by failing to prevent customer access to a faulty fueling station pump. | $5,000 | Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| King | Seattle | 12/9/08 | Cape Horn Fisheries | Fishing vessel Cape Horn discharged 126 gallons of diesel fuel to Salmon Bay during fueling on Jan. 17, 2008. | $7,500 | Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| King | Seattle | 12/12/09 | King Electrical Mfg. Co. | Discharged waste water from a paint booth and rinse tank to a city storm drain. | $20,000 Related news release |
Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| King | Seattle | 12/4/08 | Seattle Biodiesel | Spilled crude glycerin, biodiesel and vegetable oil to the Duwamish River on July 27, 2007. | $20,000 Related news release |
Larry Altose, 425-649-7009
|
| King | Seattle | 11/25/08 | Basin Oil Corp. | Stored hazardous wastes for more than two years without a permit, and failed to comply with milestones to close the facility. | $41,000 Related news release |
Larry Altose, 425-649-7009
|
| Pacific | Willapa River | 11/17/08 | Christos Tsabouris | A crane on the deck of the fishing vessel Pacific Producer broke a hose and released 20 gallons of hydraulic oil. An estimated five gallons spilled overboard into the Willapa River. | $1,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239
|
| Pierce | Steilacoom | 11/24/2008 | McNeil Island Correction Center | For second time in two months, a passenger bus spilled 60 gallons of diesel fuel to a parking area. Fuel flowed with the rainwater to a nearby wetland. | $1,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239
|
| Pierce | Fife | 10/28/08 | Gresham Transfer Inc. | A Gresham Transfer truck and trailer ran off I-5 in Fife on March 1, 2008, spilling 70 gallons of diesel fuel to Hylebos Creek. | $1,500 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Pierce | Tacoma | 11/14/08 | Trident Seafoods Corp. | Nearly 500 gallons of fuel spilled from the company’s tender vessel Bowfin during a tank-to-tank transfer on Dec. 10, 2007. The fuel spilled to the Hylebos Waterway in Commencement Bay. Nearly 400 gallons were recovered. | $30,500 Related news release |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Pierce | Tacoma | 12/6/08 | Associated Petroleum Products Inc. | Violated discharge permit limits for benzene, oil and grease, zinc and total suspended solids from the petroleum tank farm. | $112,000 Related news release |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Skagit | Anacortes | 12/23/08 | G Dennis Vaughan, vessel owner | Former fish processing vessel Trident released about 40 gallons diesel and petroleum to Guemes Channel on 11/30/07. Pumped out pollutants with water to prevent sinking after valve left open. | $1,000 | Katie J. Skipper, 360-715-5205 |
| Skagit | Anacortes | 11/19/08 | Shell OPUS Puget Sound Refinery | Violated the maximum daily limits for total suspended solids under its discharge permit. Concentration of particles in discharged water exceeded limits allowed by permit. | $4,000
|
Katie J. Skipper, 360-715-5205 |
| Thurston | Lacey | 10/28/08 | Swift Transportation Corp. | A truck spilled approximately 150 gallons of diesel fuel near milepost 114 on I-5 on Dec. 3, 2007. An estimated 75 gallons discharged into McAllister Creek and the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. | $1,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Thurston | Olympia | 11/12/08 | Danielle Belanger | Ms. Belanger caused a collision with a semi-truck hauling 8,125 gallons of milk. The semi overturned, spilling nearly 5,500 gallons of milk into a catch basin system draining to Moxlie Creek and Budd Inlet. | $3,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Walla Walla | Waitsburg | 11/20/08 | John E. Nowogroski | On Sept. 3, 2008, Ecology staff found John E. Nowogroski burning fields when all field burning fires were supposed to be 'dead out,' in violation of general agricultural burning permit conditions. | $3,000 | Cathy Cochrane, 509-329-3433 or Jani Gilbert, 509-329-3495 |
| Whatcom | Blaine | 10/21/08 | BP Cherry Point Refinery | Oil refinery violated the maximum daily limits for total suspended solids allowed under its discharge permit. Concentration of particles in discharged water exceeded limits allowed by permit. | $1,000 | Katie J. Skipper, 360-715-5205 |
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