Pollution Update 2-28-13

Oregon DEQ followed up its Dec. 13 pre-enforcement notice to Norpac Foods, Inc., (EW 12/27) with a civil penalty in the amount of $9,600 on Jan. 31. Norpac over-applied food processing wastewater to a field near Scio, resulting in illegal discharges to a ditch that drains to the North Santiam River. According to DEQ, “food processing wastewater contains high levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) which, when discharged to waters of the state, can pose a substantial threat to the receiving stream and aquatic species.” DEQ also credited Norpac for efforts that likely resulted in the violations being limited to a single day.

DEQ also recently followed up on its Jan. 22 pre-enforcement notice to SierraPine (EW 2/7) with a civil penalty in the amount of $1,800 on Feb. 21. SierraPine exceeded the total suspended solids limit in its Clean Water Act wash water permit by 183 percent in November at its 48th Street facility in Springfield, which discharges to the McKenzie River. SierraPine received a warning letter from DEQ in December 2011 for the same type of violation.