DEQ issues six penalties in July for environmental violations

Statewide, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued six penalties totaling $63,634 in July for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/enforcement.

Fines ranged from $2,600 to $17,806. Alleged violations included a construction machinery sales facility operating without a required stormwater permit, a plywood mill discharging hydraulic oil to a river and steel, concrete and food products facilities failing to perform required stormwater monitoring.

DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations:

• BBC Steel Corp., Canby, $9,902, stormwater.
• Blaine Machinery, Inc., doing business as Bobcat of Portland, Portland, $14,939, stormwater.
• Columbia Plywood Corporation, Klamath Falls, $2,600, wastewater.
• North County Recreation District, Nehalem, $9,300, stormwater.
• Rolling Frito-Lay Sales, LP, Salem, $17,806, stormwater.
• The Quikrete Companies, LLC, Aurora, $9,087, stormwater

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: Michael Loch, public affairs specialist, michael.loch@deq.oregon.gov, 503-737-9435

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