Mid Valley Reporter

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued 13 penalties totaling $273,022 in December for environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/enforcement.

Fines ranged from $3,126 to $56,676. Alleged violations include a pulp mill exceeding the carbon monoxide limits of its air quality permit, a company spilling a septic tank, and open burning of a building with asbestos materials.

DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations:

• Cascade Pacific Pulp, $52,800, Halsey, air quality
• City of Cascade Locks, $9,600, Cascade Locks, wastewater
• Columbia Room Inc., $2,567, Hood River, underground storage tanks
• Coos Bay Fire Department, $38,100, Coos Bay, asbestos
• Coos Bay School District, $56,676, Coos Bay, asbestos
• DM Stevenson Ranch, L.L.C., $2,240, Hood River, underground storage tanks
• Emerick Construction, $43,200, West Linn, stormwater
• FCC Commercial Furniture, $3,300, Roseburg, air quality
• Herman Capital Inc., $3,126, Portland, underground storage tanks
• North West Septic LLC, $7,063, Astoria, onsite septic
• Union County Solid Waste District, $9,000, La Grande, solid waste
• Valley Milling & Lumber, $8,750, Eugene, stormwater
• West-Linn Wilsonville School District, $36,600, West Linn, stormwater

Organizations or individuals must either pay the fines 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. 

Original source can be found here