Department of Ecology News Release - October 30, 2019

Environmental penalties for third quarter 2019

Yakima  – 

The Washington Department of Ecology issued $229,150 in penalties of $1,000 or more July through September 2019. A detailed list of the violations and resulting penalties is posted below.  

Ecology works with thousands of businesses and individuals to help them comply with state laws. Ecology issues penalties in cases where non-compliance continues after providing warnings or technical assistance, or for particularly serious violations.

In some cases, the penalty amount may be reduced as the result of a settlement or court ruling. Funds collected go to the state’s general fund or to dedicated pollution prevention accounts

Ecology strives to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment and promote wise management for current and future generations. When someone pollutes Washington’s land, air or waters, Ecology enforces state and federal regulations in hopes of changing behavior and deterring future violations. 

Penalties for July through September 2019

County

City

Date issued

Recipient

Description

Amount

Contact

Cowlitz

Kalama

8/2/19

Emerald Kalama Chemical

Seven containers of dangerous waste were missing labels identifying risks. The containers included 50-gallon drums of cleanup debris, oil, and lab waste and a 5,000-gallon container of Benzyl Alcohol waste.

 

$4,000

 

Jeff Zenk,

360-407-6239

Grays Harbor

Westport

8/20/19

Ocean Gold Seafoods Inc.

2,000 gallons of untreated wastewater from a seafood processing plant spilled into the Westport Marine Boat Basin.

 

$2,000

Jeff Zenk,

360-407-6239

Jefferson

Port Townsend

9/9/19

Port Townsend Paper

Violated air quality emission limits for metals at the lime kiln on 2/27/19 and 3/1/19. The lime kiln is used to recycle chemicals in the paper making process.

 

$5,250

Jeff Zenk,

360-407-6239

Kitsap

Port Orchard

7/3/19

Stetson Heights LLC

In 2018, cleared more than 80 steeply sloped acres on Glenwood Road SW in Port Orchard without protecting the bare ground from stormwater erosion. Stormwater from autumn rains flowed from the cleared land as muddy water. By late fall, up to 4 feet of mud covered parts of wetlands and streams on – and adjacent to – the project property. Wetlands flow to streams with runs of salmon and steelhead trout. Also ordered to take corrective action. Penalty and order appealed. News release

 

$202,500

Larry Altose,

425-649-7009

Pend Oreille

Newport

9/5/19

Douglas Week

Fined for illegally burning prohibited materials in a trash pile that required the South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue to extinguish.

 

$1,500

Ryan Lancaster,

509-329-3509

 

Pierce

Tacoma

7/3/19

City of Tacoma

 

Spilled 70,000 to 130,000 gallons of sewage to Puget Sound, due to a missing diversion gate at the decommissioned Western Slopes Waste Water Treatment Plant. The plant was supposed to store sewage diverted during a sewer line repair in University Place in the late evening/early morning hours of Oct. 23-24, 2017.

 

$6,000

Jeff Zenk,

360-407-6239

Skagit

Concrete

9/30/19

Town of Concrete

Bypassed wastewater treatment by discharging 50,000 gallons of raw sewage into the ground at a former treatment lagoon on July 24-26, 2019. This violated a January 2019 agreement to settle the town’s appeal of a 2018 penalty for $12,800, in which half of the penalty was suspended.

 

$6,400

Larry Altose,

425-649-7009

Snohomish

Lynwood

7/16/19

National Retail Systems

Released 100 to 150 gallons of diesel fuel to Halls Creek in Lynnwood from a semi-truck forced off I-5 on Nov. 23, 2018. Also assessed $1,283 for damages to natural resources.

 

$1,500

Larry Altose,

425-649-7009

Contact information

Joye Redfield-Wilder
Communications manager
509-575-2610