DEQ issues 8 penalties in June for environmental violations

Jul 31, 2022

DEQ issues 8 penalties in June for environmental violations

Portland OR (7/29/2022) – The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued eight penalties totaling $184,545 in June for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/enforcement.

Fines ranged from $2,250 to $114,089. Alleged violations include a winery discharging wastewater to a creek tributary without a permit, a hazardous waste landfill improperly disposing of corrosive waste, and a gas station failing to submit required annual air quality reports.

DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations:

  • Chemical Waste Management of the Northwest Inc., $24,000, Arlington, hazardous waste
  • City of Hood River, $7,700, Hood River, wastewater
  • Cooper Mountain Vineyards LLC, $5,640, Beaverton, wastewater
  • ICON Construction & Development LLC, $114,089, Canby, construction stormwater
  • Mt Hood Septic LLC, $2,250, Sandy, onsite septic
  • Rogue Valley Stations, $4,725, Ashland, air quality
  • Tualatin Valley Water District, $7,200, Beaverton , water quality
  • Wood Waste Management LLC, $18,941, Portland, water quality

In addition to the penalties listed above, DEQ also issued a revised penalty to the Port of Morrow in June for additional violations involving overapplication of wastewater containing nitrogen to agricultural fields in the Lower Umatilla Basin. DEQ issued the original penalty in January. The additional violations increase the fine by $800,000, from $1.3 million to $2.1 million.

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. 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: Laura Gleim, public affairs specialist, 503-577-3697, laura.gleim@deq.oregon.gov