Statewide, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued seven penalties totaling $55,340 in February for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/enforcement.

Fines ranged from $1,500 to $14,615. Alleged violations included gas stations failing to submit an annual air quality monitoring report in a timely manner, a gravel mine failing to come into compliance with their permit, and an Oregon City garbage company failing to comply with corrective actions.

DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations:

• B&B Leasing Co., Inc., Oregon City, $14,400, stormwater
• City of Rainier, Rainier, $10,800, wastewater
• Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce, Astoria, $14,615, water quality
• Tigard Sand and Gravel, Tualatin, $10,800.00, stormwater
• Triple Seven Station, Inc., Beaverton, $1,575, air quality reporting
• United Parcel Service, Inc., Hillsboro, $1,650, air quality reporting
• Vision International Petroleum, Inc., Gresham, $1,500, air quality reporting

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: Antony Sparrow, public affairs specialist, 503-887-9113, antony.sparrow@deq.oregon.gov

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