Breaking news: Steelscape fined $12,000 for wastewater infraction
Wednesday, November 26, 2008 5:48 PM PST
By The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleSeveral days of illegal discharges of chemical-laden wastewater led to a $12,000 penalty for Steelscape Inc., the Washington Department of Ecology announced Wednesday.
Ecology said the Kalama-based company that coats steel coils released industrial wastewater into the Port of Kalama’s domestic treatment plant in late October 2007, costing the port $62,000 to repair equipment and dispose of the wastewater.
Steelscape has an arrangement to send sewage and other domestic waste to the Port’s domestic treatment plant. Any industrial wastewater must be treated at Steelscape before being discharged into the Columbia River.
Had the discharges gone undetected, untreated sewage would have been discharged into the Columbia River and threatened fish and other aquatic life, the ecology department said.
Other environmental penalties recently issued by the ecology department include a $4,000 fine against Weyerhaeuser and a $2,000 fine against Longview Fibre. Weyerhaeuser’s penalty came after improper operation of the mill’s steam stripper on June 3 led to complaints about excessive odor, the department said. Longview Fibre’s sulfur emissions exceeded the limit on Feb. 5, the department said.
CONCERENED wrote on Nov 26, 2008 12:35 PM:
DUH wrote on Nov 26, 2008 1:34 PM:
American First wrote on Nov 26, 2008 1:43 PM:
Diesel wrote on Nov 26, 2008 1:44 PM:
bert wrote on Nov 26, 2008 1:50 PM:
DW wrote on Nov 26, 2008 3:00 PM:
kim schmanke wrote on Nov 26, 2008 3:08 PM:
Money generated by penalties doesnt pay for Ecology staff or work. It goes into a dedicated account that provides pass-through grants to local, tribal and other state agencies for water quality or habitat restoration projects.
Ecology manages and awards the grants but doesnt benefit from paid penalties.
Ecology bases its penalties on factors such as environmental damage; whether the violation was willful or knowing; the responsiveness of the company in addressing its violation. It doesnt take into consideration the Ports costs associated with this violation. "
LittleJon wrote on Nov 26, 2008 5:48 PM:
American First wrote on Nov 26, 2008 5:49 PM:
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