Department of Ecology News Release - July 28, 2021

Environmental penalties for 2nd quarter of 2021

OLYMPIA  – 

The Washington Department of Ecology issued $742,800 in penalties of $1,000 or more from April through June 2021. This includes a $501,000 fine to owners of the Electron Hydropower Dam for water quality violations on the Puyallup River. Details on the violations are listed in the table below.

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 April-June 2021

County City Date issued Recipient Description Amount Media contact
Clallam Port Angeles 5/11/2021 McKinley Paper Company A failure of the main pump station caused the release of approximately 2,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to a lagoon adjacent to the facility. $1,000 Jeff Zenk,
360-280-3704  
Clark La Center 4/19/2021 Matt Hamilton
Highland Terrace Subdivision
Dirty construction stormwater entered a roadside drainage ditch discharging into a tributary of the East Fork Lewis River. $3,000 Jeff Zenk,
360-280-3704  
Franklin Moses Lake 6/14/2021 Pacific Northwest Solutions LLC; of Pasco Operated a mobile ammonium phosphate fertilizer reactor without an air quality permit as required, at an unpermitted location near Moses Lake in March 2021. An investigation found that the reactor produced a total of 650 tons of ammonium polyphosphate liquid fertilizer over three days. News release $25,500 Andy Wineke,
360-791-1939
Grant Quincy 5/10/2021 Dodson Road Orchards, LLC;  Jessica Barrera Caused air pollution and burned without an Agricultural Burn Pile Permit. $2,500 Andy Wineke,
360-791-1939
Grays Harbor Cosmopolis 5/4/2021 Cosmo Specialty Fibers Inc Discharged wastewater that was not properly treatedly to an incorrect outfall resulting in closure of downstream shellfish beds. $8,000 Jeff Zenk,
360-280-3704  
King Des Moines 4/26/2021 Midway Sewer District   A pump station malfunction resulted in the release of 1.2 million gallons of raw sewage into McSorley Creek and Puget Sound. The incident occurred from Sept 10-14, 2020, and led to a temporary closure of Saltwater State Park.
Penalty paid. News release
$21,000 Larry Altose, 206-920-2600
King Des moines 4/26/2021 Award Construction, Inc. and Trenchless Construction LLC From Oct.13-14, 2021, an estimated 125,000 gallons of raw sewage was released from a damaged sewer line and a broken bypass line during construction, for the Midway Sewer District. Untreated wastewater entered nearby homes and the stormwater ditch which discharges to McSorely Creek, which flows to Saltwater State Park and Puget Sound. Penalty paid. $2,000 Larry Altose, 206-920-2600
King Snoqualmie River 6/29/2021 Ace Hardware Corp Moxee Ace Hardware truck was traveling in inclement weather on Interstate 90. It was speeding and did not have chains on, as required. It slid into the shoulder and jacknifed, rupturing one of its fuel tanks. It spilled 120 gallons of diesel into a ditch, stormwater system, and the Snoqualamie River. News release $28,000 Ty Keltner,
360-515-6868
Kitsap Port Orchard 4/30/2021 Sebring Marine Services LLC Approximately 779 gallons of diesel fuel and hydraulic oil spilled into Sinclair Inlet when the tugboat Meagan M sank on July 29, 2019, while moored at the Port Orchard Railway Marina. Separately, the party was billed $1,578 for the state’s oversight costs, and ordered to pay a $20,115.94 assessment for natural resources damage. $5,500 Ty Keltner,
360-515-6868
Kittitas Cle Elum 6/14/2021 Kuney Construction of Spokane Kuney Construction illegally discharged sediment and high pH wastewater to the Cle Elum River on three separate dates, violating water quality laws. They also failed to follow their Construction Stormwater General Permit while working on an Interstate 90 bridge deck project. News release. $43,000 Joye Redfield-Wilder,
509-961-6277
Kittitas Cle Elum 6/14/2021 KLB construction Inc of Mukilteo Subcontractor discharged turbid water to the Cle Elum River in violation of water quality laws while working a transportation bridge deck project on Interstate 90. New release $10,000 Joye Redfield-Wilder,
509-961-6277
Mason Port of Allyn 5/21/2021 Forrest Hoffman A pleasure craft sank in North Bay on Jan.10, 2020, spilling 5-gallons of gasoline to Puget Sound. Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Program removed the vessel in June 2020. $1,600 Jeff Zenk,
360-280-3704  
Pend Oreille Newport 4/22/2021 George Martin Burned prohibited materials that caused air pollution. $1,000 Andy Wineke,
360-791-1939
Pierce Graham 4/1/2021 Pierce County Recycling 304th Landfill Landfill leachate and process wastewater was discharged,  violating both the facility’s Industrial and Construction Stormwater General Permits. Leachate is the liquid formed when waste breaks down in the landfill and water filters through that waste. This liquid is highly toxic and can pollute the land, ground water, and water ways. $6,000 Jeff Zenk,
360-280-3704  
Pierce Tacoma  6/4/2021 Tyee Marina An estimated 26.5 gallons of hydraulic fluid, lubricating oil, and diesel fuel were spilled into Commencement Bay due to poor location of a crane barge owned by Tyee Marina during low tide. $1,200 Jeff Zenk,
360-280-3704  
Pierce Orting 4/29/2021 Washington Rock Quarries King Creek Pit Failed to implement best management practices to protect water quality as required after receiving a corrective action report and also failed to comply with Sand and Gravel General Permit conditions. $2,000 Jeff Zenk,
360-280-3704  
Pierce Tacoma 6/1/2021 WestRock Tacoma WestRock Tacoma exceeded its 5-day limits for BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) from Feb. 23-26, 2021, in violation of its wastewater discharge permit. The decay of organic matter in water is measured as biochemical or chemical oxygen demand. $8,000 Jeff Zenk,
360-280-3704
Pierce Orting 6/8/2021 Electron Hydro LLC Intake Plastic sports turf and crumb rubber used on a bypass channel of the Electron Hydro Dam polluted the Puyallup River in late July 2020. Material from the in-stream construction site broke way, with pieces of the turf found up to 21 miles downstream. The turf and its crumb rubber padding material are toxic when ingested by fish and other aquatic life. News release $501,000 Jeff Zenk,
360-280-3704
Skamania Underwood 4/23/2021 Westwood Forestry   Oil and diesel spilled to Mill Creek when the brake on a Westwood Forestry dump truck failed, causing it to go off road and crash down a steep slope next to the creek. $2,000 Joye Redfield-Wilder,
509-961-6277
Snohomish Mukilteo 5/17/2021 Applied Aero Systems LLC Failed to meet industrial wastewater discharge limits for toxic metals and other pollutants, and failed to properly monitor and report wastewater discharges in 2019 through July 2020. Also, missed deadlines in a 2019 order to correct previous violations that date from 2016. Penalty appealed. News release. $70,500 Larry Altose, 206-920-2600

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. See more about compliance and enforcement.

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. 

Contact information

Joye Redfield-Wilder
Communications Manager
509-961-6277