DEQ release – The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued 19 penalties totaling $218,576 in August for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/enforcement. Fines ranged from $600 to $31,550. Alleged violations included a city discharging untreated sewage into the Columbia River; a sand and gravel company causing stormwater pollution in a creek; and a gas company submitting inaccurate greenhouse gas emissions data. DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations and individuals along the Coast & in Coos Co.: City of Powers, Powers, $4,600, wastewater; Nehalem Bay Ready Mix Mohler Sand and Gravel, Nehalem, $28,216, stormwater; Pacific Seafood – Brookings, Harbor, $28,000, wastewater; Todd Wayne McCloskey, Brookings, $10,441, solid waste; Valley View Mobile Estates LLC, Coquille, $600, wastewater; Western Royal Inn, Tillamook, $12,000, water quality; 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.
