Statewide, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued six penalties totaling $166,932 in January for various environmental violations. A detailed list of violations and resulting penalties is at https://ordeq.org/
Fines ranged from $2,800 to $111,175. Alleged violations included gas stations failing to follow underground storage tank rules for fuel tanks, a tire service company failing to properly manage stormwater, and a hospital failing to submit a timely report about air emissions.
DEQ issued civil penalties to the following organizations:
- AMA Mini Mart Inc., Klamath Falls, $111,175, underground storage tanks
- N & S Oil LLC, Portland, $6,617, underground storage tanks
- Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, $3,800, air quality reporting
- Purcell Tire NW Inc., Portland, $5,916, stormwater
- Reinard Pollmann, Reedsport, $36,624, underground storage tanks
- STACK Infrastructure Inc., Hillsboro, $2,800, air quality permitting
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.