The Washington Department of Ecology issued $1,109,200 in penalties of $1,000 or more from Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2023. You can find a detailed list of the violations and penalties below.
Ecology works with thousands of businesses and individuals to help them comply with state laws. The agency issues penalties when someone doesn’t comply with the laws after Ecology provided technical assistance or warnings, or for particularly serious violations.
In some cases, a penalty may be reduced through a court ruling or settlement. The penalty amounts go to the state’s general fund or dedicated accounts that help prevent pollution.
Ecology strives to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment, and promote wise management practices to benefit 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 harm.
Penalties issued October through December 2023
| County | City | Date | Recipient | Violation description | Amount | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clallam | Port Angeles | 07/26/2023 | Orca Enterprises | On Sept. 24, 2022, Port Angeles Boat Haven Marina staff discovered the Orca, a fishing vessel owned by Orca Enterprises, sunk at berth. An estimated 109 gallons of diesel spilled to Port Angeles Harbor. | $1,400 |
Jasmin Adams |
| Columbia | Dayton | 10/09/2023 | Shangri-La River Ranch RV Resort | On Oct. 9, 2023, Shangri-La River Ranch RV Resort illegally burned tires and a camping trailer. | $1,500 | Stephanie May 509-202-5674 |
| Kitsap | 09/27/2023 | P/C Katy Joe | On Oct. 29, 2021, the U.S. Coast Guard reported sheen from the Katy Joe, a sunken vessel. The Coast Guard hired a contractor to remove gas remaining in the vessel’s tank. Ecology’s investigation determined that about 41 gallons of gas and 2.5 gallons of lubricating oil spilled to Sinclair Inlet. | $1,600 | Jasmin Adams 360-464-0324 |
|
| Lewis | Mossyrock | 06/27/2023 | Isaac West | Isaac West illegally polluted a creek during construction on privately owned property in unincorporated Lewis County. The construction impacted local waterways, and eroded soil. News release | $168,000 | Brittny Goodsell 360-280-3704 |
| Lewis | Winlock | 10/10/2023 | Roger Foley | Real estate development company owner Roger Foley repeatedly mishandled concrete wastewater. This included illegally dumping the wastewater into the city’s stormwater system. | $2,000 | Brittny Goodsell 360-280-3704 |
| Pierce | Tacoma | 06/29/2023 | Todd Herman | Washington State Ferries reported a partially sunken vessel, registered to Todd Herman, at the Point Defiance Marina. Ecology estimated 3.34 gallons of a lube oil and gasoline mixture discharged from the vessel to Commencement Bay. Herman did not notify the response agencies about the spill as required. | $2,400 | Jasmin Adams 360-464-0324 |
| Pierce | 06/06/2023 | Steven Lee Stone | On Jan. 4, 2023, a pleasure craft registered to Steven Lee Stone sank at the Point Defiance Marina and Public Access Dock in Tacoma. It produced a thick, silver-to-rainbow, unrecoverable sheen. | $2,400 | Jasmin Adams 360-464-0324 |
|
| Pierce | Longbranch | 10/04/2023 | Pacific Northwest Bulkhead Inc. | The boat Chignik No. 101 sank with 200 tons of large rock, a 100-gallon fuel tank containing diesel, and an excavator containing 10 gallons of diesel on board. The fuel tank was recovered before it lost its contents. Ecology assumes that the vessel and excavator’s fuel and fluids (such as lube and hydraulic oils) released to Drayton Passage. | $1,000 | Jasmin Adams 360-464-0324 |
| Pierce | Milton | 10/05/2023 | Maxim Aficiuc | Maxim Aficiuc failed to use and maintain best management practices, submit required monthly discharge reports, control pollutants, and keep the soil stabilized during residential construction work. Ecology tried to contact him multiple times without success. | $1,500 | Brittny Goodsell 360-280-3704 |
| Pierce | Sumner | 11/02/2023 | Punjab Transit LLC | On Dec. 24, 2021, a Punjab Transit truck caused 50 gallons of diesel to spill to wetlands. Punjab Transit failed to quickly hire cleanup contractors. | $1,300 | Jasmin Adams 360-464-0324 |
| Snohomish | Everett | 11/14/2023 | Casino Tesoro | Underground storage tanks have mechanisms to prevent them from being overfilled, which are regularly tested to ensure they are functioning properly. The overfill prevention devices for the Casino Tesoro gas station's underground storage tanks repeatedly failed tests. The penalty was for failing to replace the overfill prevention devices as required. | $1,200 | Scarlet Tang 206-920-2600 |
| Wahkiakum | Rosburg | 10/17/2023 | Deep River Landing LLC; Luke and Crystal Gardner | On Nov. 4, 2021, Ecology was notified about a barge leaking bunker oil to the Deep River in Rosburg. In December 2021, Ecology floated the barge downriver, pulled it out of the water, had its oil removed, and had it deconstructed and disposed of. In February 2022, the riverbed below where the barge had been located was dredged to remove any remaining oil in the environment. | $3,900 | Jasmin Adams 360-464-0324 |
| Whatcom | Bellingham | 10/25/2023 | St. Joseph Hospital | St. Joseph Hospital repeatedly violated state dangerous waste laws, failing to institute preventative measures such as proper staff training, regular inspections of storage areas, and required reporting to Ecology. News release | $21,000 | Scarlet Tang 206-920-2600 |
| Whatcom | Ferndale | 11/27/2023 | Jagroop S Gill and Campbell Land Corp (Treoil) | This industrial site accumulated hundreds of thousands of gallons of oily waste, tons of solidified wastes, and numerous containers of dangerous waste, with much of that waste improperly stored adjacent to wetlands and a nearby creek. Treoil failed to designate this dangerous waste and to properly remove and dispose of it. News release | $900,000 | Scarlet Tang 206-920-2600 |