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Department of Ecology News Release - September 17, 2009
09-229
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) issued $579,019 in penalties of $1,000 or more in the second 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 |
| Statewide | N/A | 06/18/2009 | Daewoo Electronics America Virtual | Failed to meet annual registration requirements and to participate in a recycling plan for electronic products sold in Washington. | $10,000 |
Kathy
Davis, 360-407-6149 |
| Benton | Richland | 06/23/2009 | Corey Cameron Milwaukie, OR | Illegally drained about seven gallons of mixed fuel from the gas tank on his vehicle to a catch basin/storm drain at a Richland gas station on Aug. 26, 2007, after accidentally putting diesel fuel in his tank. | $6,000 |
Joye
Redfield-Wilder, 5 09-575-2610 |
| Benton | West Richland | 05/04/2009 | St George Enterprises LLC | Well driller was cited for 60 violations associated with well construction identified over the last three years. Failed to follow well drilling protocols designed to protect consumers and the environment. Please see related news release. | $24,000 | Joye Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610 |
| Clark | Battle Ground | 04/13/2009 | Wholesale Printers Inc | The printing shop failed to evaluate its wastes, instead choosing to illegally dispose of them through the city’s sewage system. Toxic sludge built up over time in underground sewage vaults. Please see related news release. | $18,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Douglas | Rock Island | 04/29/2009 | Premium Construction/ Development | Burned demolition debris and construction debris in an outdoor fire, in violation of state law and in violation of their burn permit. | $5,298 |
Joye
Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610 |
| Franklin | 04/08/2009 | John Douglas & Quarry Orchard LLC | Burned a mobile home, violating the regulation that makes it illegal to burn “prohibited materials.” | $5,130 |
Jani
Gilbert, 509-329-3495 |
|
| Grant | Royal City | 06/29/2009 | B & G Farms Inc | Mike Brown and B&G Farms Inc. failed to follow their farm plan to prevent erosion. As a result, sediment-laden water and soil flowed into Lower Crab Creek—a sensitive habitat to fall Chinook and summer steelhead salmon. Please see related news release. | $9,000 |
Jani
Gilbert, 509-329-3495 |
| Grays Harbor | Aberdeen | 04/01/2009 | Aberdeen Landing, LLC | The developer of a 332-home development ignored elements of the water quality permit designed control soil erosion and limit untreated runoff and muddy water from leaving the construction site. Ecology issued an order requiring specific corrections, but the developer failed to take care of the problems. Please see related news release. | $79,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| King | Seattle | 05/27/2009 | Industrial Plating Corp | Violated hazardous waste requirements that could have prevented the March 25, 2008 collapse of a 50,000-gallon tank full of caustic solution at the company's plant in south Seattle. Please see related news release. | $101,000 |
Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
|
King |
Seattle | 04/24/2009 | Puget Sound Coatings | Failed to submit quarterly stormwater discharge monitoring reports for the first, third and fourth quarters of 2007 and the first quarter of 2008. | $6,000 |
Larry Altose, |
|
King |
Seattle | 05/08/2009 | Olympic Tug and Barge Company | A valve left open – with no procedures in place to check it – caused approximately two gallons of diesel fuel from the barge Bernie 112 to enter the East Waterway in Seattle on Oct. 23, 2007. Please see related news release. | $16,500 |
Larry Altose, |
|
King |
Snoqualmie | 06/11/2009 | Bobs Summit Deli & Chevron | Failed to properly conduct periodic cathodic protection tests and monthly release-detection monitoring on three underground storage tanks. | $1,200 |
Larry Altose, |
| Kittitas | Ellensburg | 05/05/2009 | Twin City Foods | Discharged ammonia-laden wastewater to the City of Ellensburg Wastewater Treatment Plant without a permit, and caused an upset and pass through of excessive amounts of ammonia to the Yakima River in violation of state water quality standards. Please see related news release. | $80,000 |
Joye Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610 |
| Lewis | Chehalis | 04/23/2009 | Draper Valley Farms, Chehalis Mill | Poor housekeeping practices allowed rotting animal feed produced by the mill to scatter across the property and spill into storm drains that empty to a tributary of Dillenbaugh Creek. The mill also failed to monitor stormwater from locations that would clearly indicate the type of discharges going into the local waters. Please see related news release. | $14,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Okanogan | Chesaw | 04/27/2009 | Buckhorn Mountain Project; Crown Resources | Violated water quality permit requirements at the Buckhorn Mountain gold mine. Failed to adequately capture and treat water from the mine operation. Penalty was paid in full. Please see related news release. | $40,000 |
Joye
Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610 |
| Okanogan | Winthrop | 05/18/2009 | Cascade Concrete Products | Since 2007 company has failed to submit discharge monitoring reports as is required under the Sand and Gravel General Permit. | $3,000 |
Joye
Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610 |
|
Pierce |
Tacoma |
06/01/2009 |
Emerald Services |
Facility personnel spilled 20 gallons of acetone, but didn’t clean up the spill until several days later, when nearly 260 gallons of methyl ethyl ketone was spilled to the same containment area. The spilled materials were finally cleaned up but stored in waste tanks not meant to store dangerous wastes. |
$9,000 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Pierce |
Tacoma |
06/18/2009 |
X-Cel Feeds |
The animal feed producer has refused to apply for the appropriate stormwater permit. Please see related news release. |
$14,641 |
Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Snohomish |
Snohomish |
06/30/2009 | WA DOT SR 9 176th to Marsh Road | Failed to conduct weekly site inspections and to stabilize exposed and un-worked soils along a relocated stream. Please see related news release. | $39,000 |
Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
|
Snohomish |
Bothell | 05/22/2009 | Seattle City Light Bothell Substation | Failed to report a mercury spill, a small part of which reached a stormwater retention pond. | $1,750 |
Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
|
Snohomish |
Woodinville | 04/23/2009 | Associated Petroleum Products | Spilled 20 gallons of gasoline to a storm drain at a Shell Station on Bostian Road on Feb. 14, 2008 due to driver inattention, and failed to promptly report the spill. | $10,000 |
Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| Stevens | Colville | 04/30/2009 | Vaagen Brothers Lumber Company | Vaagen Brothers Lumber Co. violated provisions of its air operating permit by operating with malfunctioning air pollution control equipment. | $5,000 |
Jani
Gilbert, 509-329-3495 |
| Thurston | Olympia | 06/16/2009 | Walt Cox | Project developer/owner has refused an Ecology administrative order to apply for a construction stormwater permit for his project. Mr. Cox appealed Ecology’s order but it was upheld by the state Pollution Control Hearings Board. Please see related news release. | $36,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
| Thurston | Olympia | 05/18/2009 | Port of Olympia | The port violated its stormwater permit in several ways, including the failure to file stormwater monitoring as required; having higher-than-allowed levels of certain tested parameters under the permit; and having an out-of-date stormwater pollution plan. | $2,000 | Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 |
|
Whatcom |
Blaine | 06/12/2009 | David Wilmore | On Aug. 17, 2007, the Muir Milach, a 102-foot fishing vessel, spilled about 260 gallons of diesel to Drayton Harbor while fueling at the Blaine Harbor marina. | $7,500 |
Katie Skipper, 360-715-5205 |
| Yakima | Grandview | 04/21/2009 | RE Powell Distributing | Fuel distributor failed to maintain equipment to safeguard against fuel releases at eight underground petroleum storage tanks and violated other environmental regulations associated with operating a fuel depot. Penalty was settled for $10,000 with company paying for training program for balance of fine. Please see related news release. | $30,000 |
Joye
Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610 |
| Yakima | Grandview | 06/25/2009 | Welch’s Foods | Illegally discharged red dye #40 (food coloring) to the City of Grandview Wastewater Treatment Plant, interfering with treatment plant operations. Also failed to report the discharge to Ecology. | $6,000 |
Joye
Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610 |
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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Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
