DEQ release – Statewide, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued 12 penalties totaling $357,009 in May for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/enforcement. Fines ranged from $1,275 to $150,000. Alleged violations included multiple facilities that failed to submit complete greenhouse gas emissions data reports to DEQ, a seafood processing facility that discharged wastewater to the Columbia River without a permit, and a retail home improvement warehouse and distribution center failing to conduct hazardous waste determinations over a period of three years. DEQ issued civil penalties to the following coastal organizations and individuals: Alsea Quarries 1 LLC, Alsea, $7,727, stormwater; Astoria Pacific Seafoods LLC, Astoria, $22,800, wastewater; Da Yang Seafoods, Astoria, $150,000, wastewater; Oregon Treehouse Partners LLC, Cloverdale, $43,588, stormwater; Port of Astoria, Astoria, $28,800, stormwater; S-C Paving Company, Tillamook, $6,405, 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.
