The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a public notice on Monday, Feb. 11, concerning a proposed penalty against Tyree Oil, Inc. under the Clean Water Act. EPA alleges that Tyree Oil violated the Clean Water Act by failing to prepare and implement adequate spill prevention, containment and countermeasures (SPCC) plans at Eugene and North Bend facilities. EPA also alleges that approximately seven barrels of oil discharged from an above-ground storage tank at Tyree Oil’s facility on West 1st Avenue in Whiteaker on Jan. 24, 2009, some of which reached the Willamette River, resulting in a sheen that lasted at least two days. EPA proposes a penalty of $27,920, along with Tyree Oil’s construction of a secondary containment vault at its transload facility located at 2340 Irving Road, which will cost approximately $200,000. EPA’s proposed order can be found at http://goo.gl/2mAvl, and information on commenting can be found at http://goo.gl/XyF8B.
Also on Feb.11, Oregon DEQ issued a warning letter to Arclin U.S.A. LLC for violating the Clean Water Act in December by exceeding its monthly million-gallon discharge limit by 20 percent. As noted previously in EW, Arclin’s discharges are pursuant to a Clean Water Act permit that expired in August of 1999, and that was issued in 1994.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519