DEQ issues 16 penalties in August for environmental violations

Statewide, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued 16 penalties totaling $445,620 in August for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/enforcement.

Fines ranged from $1,100 to $138,458. Alleged violations included a brewery failing to contain and cleanup building materials and cans from the Columbia River, a general contractor and disaster restoration business performing unlicensed asbestos abatement and a solid waste landfill that failed to manage leachate.

DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations:

• B&B Leasing, Oregon City, $15,659, stormwater
• Barone Holdings, LLC, Hood River, $2,100, stormwater
• Boise Cascade Wood Products, LLC, Medford, $10,200, air quality permitting
• Cascade Wood Products, White City, $6,906, wastewater
• City of Dayville, Dayville, $12,600, wastewater
• City of Vernonia, Vernonia, $1,650, wastewater
• DARS Corporation, dba PDX Food Mart, Portland, $1,875, underground storage tanks
• Federal Express Corporation, Troutdale, $57,300, hazardous waste
• Hillsboro Landfill, Hillsboro, $133,450, solid waste
• Jared Martinsen, Salem, $6,000, asbestos
• Lowe's Home Centers, LLC, Lebanon, $22,666, hazardous waste
• McGinnis Enterprises, Inc, Keizer, $18,781, asbestos
• Regency of Oregon, Inc, Canby, $3,675, wastewater
• River Barrell Brewing, Inc, dba Buoy Beer Company, Astoria, $138,458, water quality
• St. Hilaire Brothers Hermiston Farm, LLC, Hermiston, $1,100, air quality permitting
• World Fuel Services, Inc, Doral, FL, $13,200, clean fuels program

Recipients of DEQ civil penalties 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: Antony Vorobyov, public affairs specialist, 503-887-9113, antony.vorobyov@deq.oregon.gov

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