Pollution Update 2-20-14

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) followed up on the pre-enforcement notice that it sent to Pacific Recycling, LLC in November (EW 1/9, goo.gl/QO7Z1t) with a civil penalty of $2,400 on Feb. 3. DEQ formally cited Pacific Recycling for failing to dispose of hazardous waste at a permitted site, failing to determine if hazardous waste had to be treated prior to land disposal and offering hazardous waste for transport without a hazardous waste manifest. The hazardous waste consisted of 868 tons of soil excavated from property at 3300 Cross Street formerly used by wood treatment company J.H. Baxter, and contaminated by J.H. Baxter with arsenic, creosote and chromium. DEQ has ordered Pacific Recycling to file an annual hazardous waste generator report with DEQ by March 1. DEQ assessed a civil penalty of $4,447 against Mid Valley Metal Recycling LLC on Feb. 5 for failure to monitor stormwater discharges from its facility on South A Street in Springfield. — Doug Quirke/Oregon Clean Water Action Project