Department of Ecology News Release - Oct. 28, 2016

Environmental penalties for third quarter 2016

OLYMPIA –

The Washington Department of Ecology issued $181.9 million in penalties of $1,000 or more during July through September. The large dollar figure this quarter is mostly attributed to two penalties, one for more than $176 million to Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., and another for $444,000 to Total Reclaim, Inc.

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 land, air or waters, Ecology enforces state and federal regulations in hopes of changing behavior and deterring future violations.

Penalties for July - September 2016

County	City	Date Issued	Recipients	Description	Amount	Media contact
		7/28/16	Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.	Volkswagen Group of America violated state motor vehicle emission requirements by installing illegal software on many of its diesel vehicles to falsify emissions tests. News Release	$176,096,250	Camille St. Onge, 360-407-6932
Benton	Richland	8/10/16	US DOE Hanford Facility	The Office of River Protection (ORP) did not document Good Cause for an Extension of M-45-92 milestone. ORP reported 45-92 milestone elements as "on schedule" between October 21, 2014, through March 26, 2015.	$5,000	Randy Bradbury, 509-372-7954
Benton	Richland	8/8/16	US DOE Hanford Facility; CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company	U.S. Department of Energy and its contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) for mishandling dangerous waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. News Release	$50,000	Randy Bradbury, 509-372-7954
Clark	Vancouver	7/25/16	Rotschy Inc.	Failed to use best management practices under construction stormwater permit to prevent runoff at the Pleasant View Estates development. Soils were tracked off site onto a public road extending over a block. Stockpiles were not stabilized along with bare soils not actively being worked.	$3,000	Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239
Grays Harbor	Cosmopolis	9/7/16	Cosmo Specialty Fibers Inc.	Violated wastewater discharge permit for BOD (5-days Biochemical Oxygen Demand)	$2,000	Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239
Grays Harbor	Copalis Crossing	7/20/16	Ridgewood Limited Trust; Leo Warren	Logging slash, and landscaping debris disposed in a Category II estuarine wetland. The fill material was exposed to rain and tidal flooding with no best management practices installed to prevent turbid water from running off into the adjacent wetland or the Copalis River.	$4,000	Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239
King	Seattle	9/2/16	Washington Dept. of Transportation and Flatiron West Inc.	Joint penalty for nine releases into Lake Washington in Seattle along the State Route 520 Bridge project West Approach Bridge North segment between March 2015 and April 2016. Under appeal. News Release	$22,000	Larry Altose, 425-649-7009
King	Seattle	8/31/16	Total Reclaim Inc.	Company illegally disposed of flat-screen televisions and monitors with fluorescent tubes containing toxic mercury. The company shipped the flat screens to Hong Kong, where they were broken apart in the open by unprotected workers. News Release	$444,000	Andrew Wineke, 360-407-6149
Pacific	Illwaco	9/23/16	Jessies Ilwaco Fish Co.	A pump failed at a fish processing facility in Ilwaco, discharging untreated wastewater to Baker Bay. The company did not report the discharge to Ecology in a timely manner.	$2,000	Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239
Pend Oreille	Usk	8/9/16	Ponderay Newsprint Company	For operating diesel engines at its Usk facility without a permit. Penalty paid. News Release	$24,000	Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478
Pend Oreille	Usk	8/9/16	Plummer Forest Products	For operating diesel engines at Ponderay Newsprint Company in Usk without a permit. Penalty paid.	$3,000	Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478
Pierce	Edgewood	7/1/16	The Rush Companies - Commercial	Construction stormwater permit violations, including failing to implement best management practices to prevent runoff at Edgewood Crossing Apartments.	$1,500	Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239
Pierce	Tacoma	9/20/16	Benjamin Ryan Communities LLC	Numerous violations of the construction stormwater general permit, including failing to have a pollution prevention plan and best management practices check-list at Devonshire development.	$1,000	Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239
Pierce	Puyallup	9/30/16	Inland Washington LLC	Violations of the construction stormwater general permit, including failing to notify and implement best management practices to prevent runoff.	$2,000	Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239
Stevens	Ford	9/8/16	Meron Martushev	Burned prohibited materials from a structure.	$2,500	Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478
Whatcom	Bellingham	7/6/16	Strider Construction	During a sewer replacement project, a Strider Construction crew installed a temporary bypass sewer pump and connected it to what they believed to be a sewer line, but it was actually a storm drain. As much as 300,000 gallons of untreated sewage flowed into Padden Creek. News Release	$9,000	Krista Kenner, 360-715-5205
Whatcom	Bellingham	7/6/16	City of Bellingham	During a sewer replacement project, a contractor working for the city of Bellingham mistakenly connected a bypass sewer pump to a storm drain, which resulted in as much as 300,000 gallons of untreated sewage flowing into Padden Creek. The city reviewed and approved the sewer bypass plan which included an incomplete map that did not clearly identify the location of the sewer manhole, which led to the mistake. News Release	$9,000	Krista Kenner, 360-715-5205

Missing from the second quarterly penalty summary (April-June 2016)

County	City	Date Issued	Recipients	Description	Amount	Media contact
Thurston	Olympia	5/17/16	The Port of Olympia	Repeated violations of industrial stormwater permit, and for discharging hydrogen peroxide solution to the stormwater system. The discharge reached the LOTT treatment plant and did not enter surface water.	$4,000	Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239

Contact information

Joye Redfield-Wilder

Communications manager

joye.redfield-wilder@ecy.wa.gov

509-575-2610

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Environmental penalties for third quarter 2016

Penalties for July - September 2016

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