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Department of Ecology News Release - May 15, 2009
09-109
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) issued $610,163 in penalties of $1,000 or more in the first three months of 2009.
Ecology issues individual news releases for penalties of $10,000 or greater, and links to the news release are included in the table. A particular penalty may be fully satisfied at this time or in the process of an appeal or settlement discussions.
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 Pollution Control 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:
The most common accounts receiving collected penalties are:
|
County of Violation |
City of Violation |
Date Issued |
Penalty Recipient |
Description of Violation |
Amount |
Media Contact |
|
Adams |
Ritzville |
3/10/2009 |
John E.,
Edward Jr., and Betty J. Faure |
The
Faures burned railroad ties near Ritzville in November 2008, which is a
violation of the "prohibited materials" regulation. |
$3,000 |
Jani Gilbert, |
|
Clallam |
Sequim |
3/6/2009 |
Allen
Grant |
Project
owner/developer refused to apply for a construction stormwater permit as
required by law for a project of this size. Mr. Grant had been advised
of the law in written correspondence and in person. |
$2,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Clark |
Camas |
2/11/2009 |
Grandview
Development Group |
Failure
to use best practices to stabilize disturbed soils, properly dispose of
waste material and protect storm drains. Inspection logs weren’t kept
current as required by the construction stormwater permit. |
$3,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Clark |
Vancouver |
1/8/2009 |
Columbia
Rock & Aggregate |
Failed to
file the discharge monitoring reports as required by law.
The reports are necessary to
ensure stormwater discharges from the site meet water quality standards. |
$3,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Clark |
Vancouver |
1/29/2009 |
Tapani
Underground |
Failed to
maintain recognized industry practices to prevent soil from being
tracked onto public road. Keeping soils controlled so they can’t be
washed into ditches, streams or other waterways is a requirement of the
construction stormwater permit. |
$2,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Cowlitz |
Castle
Rock |
1/8/2009 |
Jason R.
Good Quarry |
Allowed
muddy discharges from a small landslide on the quarry's property to
impact McCorkle and Leckler creeks. |
$13,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Cowlitz |
Longview |
3/12/2009 |
Chinook
Ventures |
Multiple
violations including failing to comply with an air order intended to
prevent air pollution; ignoring the requirement for an updated
stormwater permit; and storing materials without proper cover and
controls to prevent stormwater contamination. |
$150,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Cowlitz |
Longview |
3/2/2009 |
Longview
Fibre Paper & Packaging |
Exceeded
limits for sulfur dioxide emission from Power Boiler 12. |
$1,500 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Franklin |
Basin
City |
2/27/2009 |
Villas
Mini Mart |
Failed to
comply with release detection and corrosion protection requirements for
underground storage tank system. |
$1,200 |
Jani Gilbert, |
|
Grant |
Royal
City |
1/14/2009 |
Golden
West Farms, Gerald A. Brown and Steele Brown |
Violated
the terms of a permit for land-clearing burning on Sept. 3 and Sept. 5,
2008, by starting to burn before permitted burn times. |
$9,000 |
Jani Gilbert, |
|
Jefferson |
Port
Townsend |
1/23/2009 |
Port
Townsend Paper Corp. |
Temperature of wastewater discharge exceeded limit set in the mill’s
permit. |
$1,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Jefferson |
Port
Townsend |
3/26/2009 |
Port
Townsend Paper Corp. |
Wastewater discharges on multiple days were outside the acceptable range
of pH specified in the paper mill’s permit. |
$2,500 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
King |
Black
Diamond |
3/9/2009 |
David
Morris |
Spilled
two gallons of diesel oil by knocking over a fuel container into a lake
and failed to promptly report and clean up the spill.
|
$1,000 |
Larry Altose, |
|
King |
Seattle |
1/20/2009 |
Trident
Seafoods |
Two June
2008 spills released 203 ½ gallon of diesel fuel to the Lake Washington
Ship Canal. |
$25,500 |
Larry Altose, |
|
King |
Seattle |
3/6/2009 |
Matson
Navigation Company Inc. |
The
vessel Manoa discharged two gallons of lube oil into Elliott Bay due to
a faulty valve seal. |
$1,000 |
Larry Altose, |
|
Kitsap |
Port
Orchard |
2/5/2009 |
David
Alan Development, LLC (of Mill Creek) |
Discharged construction stormwater without a permit, and violated an
order to correct ongoing violations. |
$28,000 |
Larry Altose, |
|
Kitsap |
Port
Orchard |
3/23/2009 |
David
Alan Development, LLC (of Mill Creek) |
Continued
stormwater discharges from a construction site without a permit. |
$48,000 |
Larry Altose, |
|
Kitsap |
Poulsbo |
3/18/2009 |
Ronald
Duckworth |
Ongoing
failure by a well driller to submit well reports since 1993.
|
$15,000 |
Larry Altose, |
|
Lewis |
Chehalis |
1/8/2009 |
National
Frozen Foods Repack Facility (Sturdevant Road) |
Failed to file the discharge monitoring reports as required by the permit. The reports are necessary to effectively monitor pollution in stormwater discharges. |
$4,350 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Lewis |
Chehalis |
1/8/2009 |
National
Frozen Foods Processing Facility (NW State Street) |
Failed to
file the discharge monitoring reports as required by the permit. The
reports are necessary to effectively monitor pollution in stormwater
discharges. |
$1,013 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Mason |
Shelton |
2/20/2009 |
Manke
Lumber Company, Shelton Log Dump |
Failed to
conduct quarterly monitoring, report results and maintain required
records at the facility. Operating with an inadequate stormwater
pollution prevention plan. |
$3,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Okanogan |
Tonasket |
3/18/2009 |
Gregory
Fisher |
Burning
illegal materials including a carpet shampooer, rubber coated wire and
an electric motor in three burn barrels. Burn barrels are also
prohibited. |
$4,500 |
Joye Redfield-Wilder, |
|
Pacific |
|
1/15/2009 |
Alan
Edgar |
The
partially sunken F/V Miss Michelle released 80 to 180 gallons of diesel
and hydraulic and motor oil near the south jetty at Westport. |
$1,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
Edgewood |
2/18/2009 |
City of
Edgewood |
Continuing problems with stabilizing soils, protecting storm drains and
keeping soils from tracking off the site at the City Hall construction
site. |
$1,500 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
Lakewood |
2/19/2009 |
LDH
Investments doing business as Sun Mart 3 |
Failure
to investigate a suspected release of gasoline and failure to comply
with tank release detection requirements. |
$1,100 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
Orting |
2/24/2009 |
Gratzer
Landing |
Construction site has several stormwater permit violations, including
failure to use best practices to prevent polluted stormwater runoff
discharges and lack of a pollution prevention plan. The site is adjacent
to the salmon-bearing Carbon River. |
$1,500 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
Sumner |
2/10/2009 |
Stowe
Construction |
Failed to
prevent, control and treat stormwater runoff from its Rainier Park of
Industry, Division Four development. The project includes construction
on steep slopes, loosening soils that should be prevented from getting
into stormwater and nearby fish-bearing channels. |
$36,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
Tacoma |
1/8/2009 |
Key Bank |
An
underground pipeline at the bank’s call center leaked nearly 270 gallons
of diesel fuel to soil and some entered a nearby storm drain. It was
found after several days of tracking mystery sheens in the Thea Foss
Waterway. |
$3,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
Tacoma |
1/8/2009 |
City of
Tacoma Asphalt Plant |
Failed to
file the discharge monitoring reports as required by the permit. The
reports are necessary to effectively monitor pollution in stormwater
discharges. |
$3,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
Tacoma |
1/30/2009 |
Hanson
Pipe and Precast |
Violated
pollution limits outlined in its permit and allowed contaminated
stormwater from the concrete plant to drain into the city stormwater
system. Discharges from the city’s stormwater pipes flow into
fish-bearing streams and Puget Sound. |
$147,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
Tacoma |
3/12/2009 |
TriPak
Yard #3 |
Failed to
file discharge monitoring reports as required by law.
The reports are necessary to
ensure stormwater discharges from the site meet water quality standards. |
$3,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
|
1/21/2009 |
Union
Pacific Railroad |
Train
collision involving two UPPR trains resulted in the release of 200
gallons of lube oil and between 230 and 630 gallons of diesel fuel to
soil. The spill contaminated groundwater and it threatened a nearby
wetland. |
$52,500 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Snohomish |
Everett |
3/25/2009 |
TC
Systems Inc. |
Repeated,
multiple failures to properly manage hazardous waste.
|
$24,000 |
Larry Altose, |
|
Snohomish |
Granite
Falls |
1/2/2009 |
Emerald
Services |
Allowed
waste oil to overflow while filling a truck tank unattended.
Spilled 10 gallons via a storm drain to a pond. |
$9,000 |
Larry Altose, |
|
Wahkiakum |
Rosburg |
1/8/2009 |
Bea
Gravel |
Failed to
file the discharge monitoring reports as required by law. The reports
are necessary to ensure stormwater discharges from the site meet water
quality standards.. |
$3,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Whatcom |
Ferndale |
2/25/2009 |
K-Sea
Transportation, L.P., Pacific Division |
On June
9, 2008, tugboat Tiger spilled about 120 gallons diesel to Strait of
Georgia when approaching the ConocoPhillips Ferndale pier. Spill caused
by overfilled day tank. |
$2,000 |
Katie Skipper, |
For more detail about Ecology’s enforcement policy and actions, please see the 2007 Enforcement Report at
www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0801015.pdf
###
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