Pollution Update 5-5-16

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) sent a “pre-enforcement notice” to Vernon Egge of Coburg Road Quarry, LLC on April 1 concerning illegal discharges of wastes to the McKenzie River where it flows under I-5 (near Armitage Park). DEQ received a complaint of “discolored and turbid water runoff” entering the river at this location on March 14 and verified the discharges via a site visit the same day. DEQ “strongly suggests” that Coburg Road Quarry submit a permit application for future discharges by May 13. A permit application was previously submitted for this site and then withdrawn by Coburg Road Quarry, which claimed at the time that the site had no discharges. DEQ will likely assess a financial penalty against Coburg Road Quarry in the near future for the recent violations. — Doug Quirke/Oregon Clean Water Action Project