DEQ issues 15 penalties in January for environmental violations

Statewide, OR—The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued 15 penalties totaling $395,700 in January for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/enforcement.

Fines ranged from $450 to $96,574. Alleged violations included cities violating the requirements of their wastewater permits, a landfill exceeding its Title V Operating Permit emissions limits and an anodizing facility for disposing hazardous waste into the public sanitary sewer system.

DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations and individuals:
• A&J Lawn and Tree, Salem, $3,874, air quality
• A&N Transport LLC, Portland, $24,820, stormwater
• Agri-Plas., Inc., Brooks, $33,320, stormwater and solid waste
• Anodize Solutions LLC, Tualatin, $16,481, hazardous waste
• City of Carlton, Carlton, $11,527, wastewater
• City of Huntington, Huntington, $36,115, wastewater
• City of Lafayette, Lafayette, $69,210, wastewater
• Gee Automotive Portland XVI LLC, Hillsboro, $1,200, air quality reporting
• K Manufacturing, Inc., Astoria, $17,706, stormwater
• Khan Oil LLC, Clackamas, $1,500, air quality reporting
• Owens-Brockway Glass Container, Inc., Portland, $54,000, air quality
• Safety-Kleen, Clackamas, $15,000, hazardous waste
• Wasco County Landfill, Inc., The Dalles, $96,574, air quality
• West Coast Wire Rope & Rigging, Inc., Portland, $450, air quality reporting
• Willamette Egg Farms, Canby, $13,923, stormwater

Organizations or individuals must either pay the fines to the state treasury or file an appeal within 20 days of receiving notice of the penalty. They may be able to offset a portion of a penalty by funding a supplemental environmental project that improves Oregon’s environment. Learn more about these projects at https://ordeq.org/sep.

Penalties may also include orders requiring specific tasks to prevent ongoing violations or additional environmental harm.

DEQ works with thousands of organizations and individuals to help them comply with laws that protect Oregon’s air, land and water. DEQ uses education, technical assistance, warnings and penalties to change behavior and deter future violations.

Media contact: Michael Loch, public affairs specialist, 503-737-9435, michael.loch@deq.oregon.gov

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