The Washington Department of Ecology issued $439,340 in penalties of $1,000 or more from July 1 – Sept. 30, 2024. A detailed list of the violations and resulting penalties is 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.
| County | City | Date issued | Recipient | Description | Amount | Media contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton | Kennewick | 7/1/2024 | David J Michels | In December 2022, a fire at Clover Island Yacht Club destroyed two boats and their slips. Kennewick Fire Department determined that the fire originated from the slip owned by David Michels. Ecology estimated that 12-23 gallons of gasoline and lubricant oil spilled from the two vessels into the Columbia River. The Washington Emergency Management Division was not notified of the incident as required. | $2,600 | Jessica Kulaas 360-515-6868 |
| Chelan | Wenatchee | 9/24/2024 | Lance A Hansen | Lance Hansen was penalized for smoke impacts resulting from burning that occurred in both a burn barrel and a burn pit on his property in Wenatchee’s urban growth area, where burning is prohibited. | $5,000 | Emily Tasaka 509-571-0352 |
| Cowlitz | Longview | 7/26/2024 | Weyerhaeuser Lumber | Ecology issued a $145,000 penalty to Weyerhaeuser’s Longview lumber mill for 36 stormwater discharge violations, 15 monitoring requirements violations, 16 reporting requirement violations, and for making changes to the system without Ecology's approval. All of these occurred between July 2022 and May 2024. News release | $145,000 | Brittny Goodsell 360-280-3704 |
| Cowlitz | Longview | 8/6/2024 | Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company, LLC | Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company, LLC violated its permit by discharging more solids into its treated wastewater than the permit allows. | $2,000 | Brittny Goodsell 360-280-3704 |
| Cowlitz | Longview | 8/6/2024 | Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company, LLC | Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company, LLC violated its permit by releasing more sulfur dioxide into the air than the permit allows. | $4,500 | Brittny Goodsell 360-280-3704 |
| Cowlitz | Kelso | 8/20/2024 | Bill Puvogel, Chris Mayeda | Ecology issued two penalties totaling $49,000 to Steel Painters, Inc. for hazardous waste violations at two facilities in Kelso and Longview that the industrial painting company owns. The company’s Kelso facility received a $27,000 violation and the Longview facility received a $22,000 violation. News release | $49,000 | Brittny Goodsell 360-280-3704 |
| Grays Harbor | Cosmopolis | 9/23/2024 | Cosmo Specialty Fibers Inc | Ecology issued a $42,000 penalty to Cosmo Specialty Fibers for multiple dangerous waste violations. The company allowed hazardous waste to accumulate on site beyond the required treatment and disposal dates. The waste sat for more than a year after a previous owner’s decision to suspend operations at the mill in December 2022. News release | $42,000 | Brittny Goodsell 360-280-3704 |
| Island | Oak Harbor | 9/10/2024 | Christopher Whiteman and Victoria Coury | Illegal ditches on property owned by Whiteman and Coury damaged about 8.5 acres of wetlands, including on adjacent property not owned by the couple. Wetlands cannot be drained or modified without prior authorization from Ecology. Whiteman and Coury failed to comply with Ecology’s legal order to backfill the ditches and begin wetland restoration. News release | $120,000 | Scarlet Tang 206-920-2600 |
| King | Seattle | 7/19/2024 | King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks | King County is responsible for regular maintenance of its stormwater facilities. Ecology issued a stipulated penalty (a predetermined penalty for violations described in a legal order) because the county did not comply with its required maintenance schedule. | $2,000 | Scarlet Tang 206-920-2600 |
| San Juan | Lopez Island | 7/26/2024 | Michael and Kristin Redman | In May 2024, the Sea Ray, a 28-foot yacht, capsized near Lopez Island, releasing 70 gallons of gasoline into Puget Sound. Heavy winds grounded the vessel twice before responders secured it on Flint Beach. Contractors salvaged the wreck. | $1,000 | Jessica Kulaas 360-515-6868 |
| Snohomish | Arlington | 7/26/2024 | Erik Vasilyev | Erik Vasilyev illegally filled in wetlands and a tributary to Quilceda Creek on his property in unincorporated Snohomish County, impacting approximately 0.8 acres. He did not comply with Ecology’s legal order to remove the fill and replant the area. | $5,640 | Scarlet Tang 206-920-2600 |
| Snohomish | Everett | 8/19/2024 | Buse Timber & Sales, Inc. | In September 2023, a driver from Buse Timber & Sales Inc. was refueling a trailer, but became distracted and drove away with the fuel nozzle and hose still attached, causing them to break off. Diesel fuel spilled onto the fueling pad and into a tidal drainage ditch. Ecology estimated that 1,427 gallons of diesel were spilled. | $6,000 | Jessica Kulaas 360-515-6868 |
| Snohomish | Everett | 9/16/2024 | Tammie Gannon | In October 2022, the abandoned, sunken 85-foot tugboat Excaliber was found to be leaking fuel into Steamboat Slough, which is part of the Snohomish River estuary. Ecology responders coordinated with the U.S. EPA and contractors to contain the spill and defuel the vessel. | $5,600 | Jessica Kulaas 360-515-6868 |
| Spokane | Airway Heights | 7/29/2024 | Spokane Galvanizing Inc. | Spokane Galvanizing Inc., a metal coating and engraving business in Airway Heights, violated state dangerous waste laws by contaminating soils with corrosive waste spills. News release | $32,000 | Stephanie May 509-202-5674 |
| Spokane | Deer Park | 7/31/2024 | Robert H. Greiff | Robert H. Greiff continued unpermitted irrigation of 69 acres of crops at Wild Rose Prairie near Deer Park, despite warnings, a cease-and-desist order, and an earlier penalty. News release | $15,000 | Stephanie May 509-202-5674 |
| Thurston | Olympia | 9/27/2024 | Rob Rice, Summit Land Development LLC | Summit Land Development LLC violated its permit more than 10 times when it didn't properly dispose its excess concrete waste. | $2,000 | Brittny Goodsell 360-280-3704 |