Department of Ecology News Release - May 11, 2016

Environmental penalties for first quarter 2016

OLYMPIA –

The Washington Department of Ecology issued $89,500 in penalties of $1,000 or more January through March in 2016.

Ecology works with thousands of businesses and individuals to help them comply with state laws. 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 settlement or court rulings. 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 air, land or waters, Ecology enforces state and federal regulations in hopes of changing behavior and deterring future violations.

Penalties for January - March 2016

County	City	Date Issued	Recipients	Description	Amount	Media contact
Clallam	Port Angeles	2/10/16	Nippon Paper Industries USA CO	Violated water quality discharge limits for total suspended solids on Nov. 30 & Dec. 2, 2015. Penalty paid.	$1,000	Andy Wineke, 360-407-6149
Clark	Vancouver	3/16/16	Cascade Bridge LLC	Discharged muddy stormwater into a tributary to Burnt Bridge Creek on Dec. 4, 7, & 8, 2015 during construction on the Wash. Dept. of Transportation I-205 Mill Plain to NE 18th St. project. Under appeal. News release.	$33,000	Sandy Howard, 360-407-6408
Clark	Vancouver	1/14/16	Shanska General Contractor	Failed to implement and maintain practices required under Construction Stormwater General Permit on Jan. 12, 2016 at the Clark College STEM Building project site. Under appeal.	$2,500	Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239
Grant	Moses Lake	11/2/15	Rick Raymond	Illegally disposed construction debris and lumber by burning and burned during a Grant County burn ban. Penalty paid.	$1,000	Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478
Grant	Warden	3/22/16	Steve Estrada	Illegally disposing of trash by burning in two metal containers. Penalty paid.	$2,000	Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478
Grant	Othello	1/5/16	Teresas Orchard Apple King	Burning orchard debris piles without a permit and using a burn barrel to illegally dispose of trash. Penalty paid. .	$2,500	Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478
Grays Harbor	Ocean Shores	3/30/16	Captain Russel Eager, Renton	Spilled 562 gal. of diesel fuel when the fishing vessel Tamara went aground in the surf on Aug. 11, 2015. Also assessed $5,353.27 for state response costs and $26,238.04 for damage to public natural resources. Penalty appealed.	$4,500	Lisa Copeland, 360-407-6990
King	Enumclaw	2/17/16	Liberty Meadows Plant	Failed to employ or maintain practices required under construction stormwater general permit, resulting in muddy stormwater discharges from 10-acre construction site into city stormwater system, which empties to Boise Creek, a salmon-bearing stream. Under appeal.	$5,000	Larry Altose, 425-649-7009
King	Seattle	2/19/16	Randy D. Corn, Camano Island	Recreational vessel Invincible released 15 gal. of gasoline into Lake Washington at Spinnaker Bay Marina during salvage operations after sinking on Oct. 17, 2015.	$1,000	Larry Altose, 425-649-7009
King	Seattle	3/3/16	JCM Northlink LLC	Discharged approx. 1,000 gal of construction site wastewater from Sound Transit Northlink project at Northgate tunnel portal into Thornton Creek stream system. Penalty paid.	$2,000	Larry Altose, 425-649-7009
Kittitas	Hyak	2/2/16	Guy F. Atkinson Construction, LLC	Discharge of high pH stormwater at I-90 construction site on Snoqualmie Pass. News Release. Under appeal.	$18,000	Joye Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610
Skagit	Cockreham Island, near Lyman	1/4/16	U.S. Golden Eagle Farms LP	Irrigated 200 acres in the spring & summer of 2015 without water rights authorization, in violation of a 2012 cease and desist order. Under appeal. News release.	$16,000	Larry Altose, 425-649-7009
Whatcom	Ferndale	3/25/16	Intalco Aluminum Corp.	Exceeded water quality permit limts for total suspended solids discharged on Nov. 16, 2015. Penalty paid.	$1,000	Krista Kenner, 360-715-5205
Yakima	Sunnyside	3/10/16	Park N Pak	Failure to comply with underground storage tank release detection requirements at fueling station.	$1,000	Joye Redfield-Wilder, 509-575-2610

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Contact information

Larry Altose

Communications manager

larry.altose@ecy.wa.gov

425-649-7009

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Environmental penalties for first quarter 2016

Penalties for January - March 2016

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