The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a $1 million civil penalty today to Stella-Jones Corp. for numerous violations of environmental regulations for water quality, hazardous waste, and spill response and cleanup at their wood treating facility in Sheridan, a city in Yamhill County.
DEQ issued the $1,055,825 civil penalty because wood preserving chemicals pose a risk to public health and the environmental when not properly managed. Much of the civil penalty – $877,225 – is for economic benefit, or costs and expenses that the company avoided by not complying with environmental regulations. DEQ regulates wood treatment facilities and other industries around Oregon to ensure compliance with state and federal laws.
Prior to the formal enforcement action issued today, DEQ issued an order requiring corrective action in 2023, which was complied with, and has issued three pre-enforcement notices outlining these violations in the past two years.
“This enforcement not only addresses the company's past violations, but also requires the company to revise its operations plan, conduct additional monitoring, and take other preventative measures to ensure it stays in compliance going forward,” said Erin Saylor, Interim Manager of DEQ’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement. “Enforcement of environmental laws is critical to deterring future violations, ensuring a level playing field, and ultimately protecting public health and the environment. DEQ hopes the magnitude of this enforcement will further these goals and result in long-term compliance at the facility.”
The enforcement action cites 23 violations in total and requires Stella-Jones to address:
- Hazardous waste violations by reporting accurately, paying fees, and addressing the storage of hazardous waste in tanks.
- Water quality violations by taking several actions including increasing monitoring and reporting for certain chemicals, upgrading their stormwater treatment system, and improving their operations relating to preventing overflows of the stormwater treatment system.
Read DEQ’s full Notice of Civil Penalty Assessment and Order.
There’s a parallel state criminal case based on water quality violations. Stella-Jones and the Oregon Department of Justice agreed to a settlement in late August 2025, with the company pleading guilty to 10 misdemeanor counts of unlawful water pollution for violations of its state-issued water quality permit.
The EPA also recently reached a settlement agreement with Stella-Jones that includes a $98,000 civil penalty.
Once Stella-Jones receives the enforcement action from DEQ it has 20 calendar days to potentially file an appeal.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality protects human health and the environment by controlling air and water pollution, reducing the impacts of manufactured products and cleaning up contaminated properties. DEQ engages the public in decision-making and helps communities solve problems in ways that are economically and environmentally sustainable.
Public Affairs
Western Region: Benton, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties
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https://www.oregon.gov/deq/
