DEQ issues 19 penalties statewide totaling $290,652
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Friday, May 28th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
BAKER COUNTY – (Release from DEQ) The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued 19 penalties totaling $290,652 in April for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://go.usa.gov/xEQJn.
Fines ranged from $1,500 to $74,484. Alleged violations included operating without an air quality permit, one company violating underground fuel storage tank rules at two facilities in the same city, and discharging raw sewage into the Pacific Ocean.
DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations:
- ARS-Fresno, LLC, $1,500, Oregon City, air quality
- Baker County, $8,400, Baker City, asbestos
- Biggs Service District, $3,000, Wasco, stormwater
- Bretthauer Oil Company, $27,253, Hillsboro, underground fuel storage tank
- Bretthauer Oil Company, $25,725, Hillsboro, underground fuel storage tank
- City of Astoria, $14,700, Astoria, wastewater
- City of Dundee, $17,736, Dundee, water quality
- City of Newport, $28,400, Newport, wastewater
- City of Rainier, $7,200, Rainier, wastewater
- DS Canby LLC, $1,500, Canby, air quality
- Hydro Extrusion USA, LLC, $74,484, The Dalles, wastewater
- Kamph John Fred & Vivian M, $16,800, McMinnville, stormwater
- Lane County Public Works, $4,200, Oakridge, solid waste
- Morgan Truck Body, LLC, $6,668, Salem, stormwater
- Portland General Electric, $19,200, Estacada, water quality
- Riverbend Landfill Co., $9,600, McMinnville, solid waste
- Roseburg Forest Products Co., $10,800 Dillard, air quality
- Sunriver Owners Association, $11,386, Sunriver, stormwater
- Timothy Frederick O’Gara, $2,100, Oregon City, underground fuel storage tank
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. Read more about these projects here: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/Regulations/Pages/SEP.aspx.
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: Lauren Wirtis, public affairs specialist, 503-568-3295, Lauren.Wirtis@deq.state.or.us
Note: DEQ is committed to balancing its vital obligation to enforce the law and protect the environment with a consideration of the dramatic disruptions to public health and the economy caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. DEQ will continue to exercise reasonable enforcement discretion within its authority when issuing civil penalties. In addition, DEQ recognizes that the outbreak may affect the ability to comply with corrective actions or pay a civil penalty. Visit our webpage https://ordeq.org/COVID19 for more information about DEQ’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
