DEQ release – Statewide, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued 16 penalties totaling $256,162 in May for various environmental violations including two on the South Coast. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/enforcement. Fines ranged from $1,050 to $42,392. Alleged violations included companies failing to minimize pollution from construction and industrial stormwater; cities failing to meet water pollution limits; a university failing to test its spill prevention equipment on an underground storage tank; and an individual establishing and operating a solid waste disposal site without a permit. DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations and individuals on the South Coast: Fred Wahl Marine Construction $12,709, Reedsport, stormwater; Ocean Terminals Co., $14,000, North Bend, stormwater. On the North Coast: Pacific Seafood, Warrenton, $41,200, Warrenton, wastewater. 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.
