The Washington Department of Ecology issued $150,500 in penalties of $1,000 or more January through March in 2017.
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 January - March 2017
| County | City | Date Issued | Recipients | Description | Amount | Media contact |
| Adams | Othello | 3/6/17 | Jagroop Sidhu | Burned tree roots and branches without a permit. Burned prohibited materials, including plastic piping used for irrigation. | $3,000 | Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478 |
| Clark | Vancouver | 2/23/17 | Tieton Homes LLC | Allowed muddy water to enter a wetland by failing to properly manage stormwater runoff from construction activities and to implement practices to stabilize bare soils. | $2,000 | Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239 |
| Clark | Vancouver | 2/16/17 | Tapani Underground | Allowed muddy water to enter a wetland by failing to properly manage stormwater runoff from construction activities and to implement practices to stabilize bare soils. Penalty paid. | $9,000 | Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239 |
| Cowlitz | Longview | 2/8/17 | Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. | Violated air quality emissions limits for sulfur dioxide for 14 days, on July 15-16 and July 29 to Aug. 9, 2016. Penalty paid. | $9,000 | Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239 |
| Grant | Royal City | 3/6/17 | New Royal Bluff Orchard | Burned tree roots and branches without a permit and burned prohibited materials, including plastic piping used for irrigation. | $2,000 | Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478 |
| Grant | Royal City | 2/2/17 | Jack Rabbit Orchards 2, LLC | Burned prohibited materials, including treated fence posts and plastic piping used for irrigation on a day burning wasn’t allowed. | $2,000 | Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478 |
| King | Federal Way | 1/19/17 | Lakehaven Water and Sewer District | Failed to meet pollution discharge limits between June 2015 and Aug. 2016. Penalty paid. News release. | $29,000 | Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| King | Seattle | 1/26/17 | Seattle Iron and Metals Corp. | Discharged stormwater with excessive pollutant levels into the Duwamish River in 2015 and 2016. Penalty paid. News Release. | $64,000 | Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| Kitsap | Poulsbo | 2/7/17 | Lofall Drilling | Used an unlicensed well driller to install a well in Poulsbo on Oct. 27, 2016. Penalty appealed. | $5,000 | Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| Kitsap | Poulsbo | 2/17/17 | Raymond Bauer | Provided well drilling services with an expired state well driller’s license in Poulsbo on Oct. 27, 2016. Penalty appealed. | $7,500 | Larry Altose |
| Lewis | Onalaska | 3/7/17 | Onalaska Wood Energy, LLC | Illicitly discharged stormwater contaminated with dangerous waste to waters of the state. Failed to take corrective action for low pH stormwater discharges, and failed to implement best management practices and conduct monitoring as required by the Industrial Stormwater General Permit. | $2,000 | Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239 |
| Mason | Shelton | 3/23/17 | Kennedy Creek Quarry | Polluted waters of the state by violating water quality permit requirements: Failed to maintain or implement best management practices. Also failed to modify Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. Penalty paid. | $1,500 | Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239 |
| Pierce | Tacoma | 3/17/17 | Court C Townhomes | Failed to obtain coverage under the Construction Stormwater General Permit for a construction project. Discharged oily water into a wetland. Penalty paid. | $2,000 | Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239 |
| San Juan | Jones Island | 1/12/17 | John Harter, Port Ludlow | Spilled 200 gal. of diesel fuel from recreational vessel Gladstone on July 18, 2016, into Spring Passage in the San Juan Islands after striking an unknown object. Also paid $6,777.57 for damage to natural resources. | $1,000 | Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| Skagit | Anacortes | 3/14/17 | Tesoro Refinery | Violated permit limits for bacteria in treated wastewater discharges in Dec. 2016; four times for daily limits and for the monthly average. Penalty paid. | $5,000 | Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| Skagit | Bellingham | 3/28/17 | Dennis Spore | Released a large amount of sediment by emptying a pond into Bear Creek on or about Aug. 16, 2016, causing a significant fish kill and covering the stream bed with several inches of muck for three quarters of a mile downstream. Penalty paid. | $4,000 | Larry Altose, 425-649-7009 |
| Thurston | Tumwater | 1/10/17 | Northwest Aquatic EcoSystems | Applied pesticides at 17 locations with a suspended applicators license in June and July, 2016. Failed to provide required reports of aquatic pesticide application notices to homes and businesses in connection with treatment conducted at Spanaway Lake on June 29, 2016. Penalty appealed. | $4,000 | Dave Bennett, 360-407-6239 |
| Whitman | Pullman | 3/17/17 | Steve White - Copper Basin Construction Inc; | Failed to properly manage runoff from construction activities, and allowed muddy water to enter the city storm sewer. Penalty paid. | $2,000 | Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478 |
| Whitman | Pullman | 3/17/17 | Eric DeBoer M.A. DeAtley Construction Inc; Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport | Failed to properly manage runoff from construction activities and allowed muddy water to enter Airport Creek, a tributary to Paradise Creek. Penalty paid. | $2,500 | Brook Beeler, 509-329-3478 |