Oregon DEQ: Compliance and Enforcement

This table lists the largest penalties DEQ has issued. Once DEQ issues a penalty, the penalty recipient has several options. Within 20 calendar days of receiving the penalty, the penalty recipient may pay the full assessed amount or appeal. As part of an appeal, a penalty recipient may bring to DEQ new information about a case that can result in DEQ adjusting the amount of the penalty and the two parties agreeing on a settlement. DEQ often works out a payment plan in settlement offers, so it may take several months or years for penalty amounts to be fully paid. The penalty recipient may also elect to fund a DEQ-approved supplemental environment project, which may be used to offset up to 80% of the assessed penalty amount. The project must have tangible environmental benefits.

In some cases, collecting penalty monies from a violator can be difficult, such as if a company closes or goes into bankruptcy, or if the penalty recipient dies. DEQ uses several methods to collect penalty monies, including placing liens on properties and referring accounts for collection to the state Department of Revenue or to a private collection agency.

Penalty Amount

Issue Date

Responsible Party

Type of Violation

Violation Location

Final Penalty

Final Amount Paid

$1,428,720

5/15/02

Cain Petroleum Inc.

Failing to investigate or clean up petroleum releases from leaking underground storage tanks at various gas stations and at a bulk petroleum plant

Forest Grove, Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro

$118,901

$606,800

11/18/05

City of Portand

Violating state water quality standards by allowing numerous sewage discharges into Willamette River and several streams flowing into the Willamette

Portland

$117,320
(1)

$117,320

$548,244

12/29/92

Fuel Processors Inc.

Operating a used oil recycling and reclamation facility without a hazardous waste permit, and accepting hazardous waste without a permit

Portland

$133,000

$480,000

10/14/94

Earth Science Technology Inc.

Violating underground storage tank regulations. (The California-based company provided tank tightening testing services throughout Oregon. The tests were unreliable, and more than 300 tanks certified as sound may have been leaking.)

Statewide

$296,400

$0
(Company went out of business; owner is deceased.)

$373,580

7/31/01

Caleb Siaw, M.D.

Violating order to repair failing onsite (septic) system at Forest Lake Resort mobile home park by failing to submit information required for permit

Seaside

$317,700

$173,175

$303,169

4/8/02

Eagle-Picher Minerals Inc.

Operating a mineral processing plant without a federal (Title V) air pollution emission permit

Vale

$303,169

$254,362

8/8/08

Gunderson LLC and Gunderson Marine LLC

Disposing of hazardous wastes at a non-permitted site, and other hazardous waste violations, at manufacturing facility

Portland

Pending

$240,000

8/29/07

Granite Construction Co.

Causing pollution to state waters (Yaquina River and tributaries) on dozens of occasions between June 2006 and May 2007 due to discharges of turbid stormwater during U.S. Highway 20 reconstruction project

Lincoln County

$48,000
(2)

$48,000

$210,000

3/17/95

Daniel C. Maxwell

Failing to properly manage and remove hazardous waste, contaminated equipment and used chemicals left at PSI Manufacturing Inc. circuit board manufacturing plant, which ceased operation in late 1993

St. Helens

$210,000

Pending

$206,400

6/22/07

Washington Demilitarization Company

Violating conditions of hazardous waste treatment and storage permit for chemical weapon incinerator (improper operation and maintenance of various furnaces and tanks)

Hermiston

$40,420

$40,420(Plus funding of supplemental environmental project to a Central Oregon food bank, valued at $161,680)

$205,658

8/9/04

Mastec North America Inc.

Failing to install adequate erosion control measures during construction of natural gas pipeline, resulting in discharges of muddy water to state waters and streams

Coos and Douglas counties

$62,696

$194,842

12/19/07

Phillip Dean Morsman & Brigitte Renate, dba/Tops Trailer Park

Failing to decommission underground injection well and failing to connect to city of Madras sewer system; discharging wastewater and septic tank effluent onto ground on at least four occasions in 2006

Madras

Pending

$186,432

6/7/05

Pacific Coast Seafoods Company

Violating industrial stormwater discharge permit by exceeding discharge limits for total suspended solids and oil & grease (from fish waste) from July 1999 to Dec. 2003

Astoria

$37,286

¹ The city also agreed to fund four water quality and fish passage improvement projects at a cost of more than $500,000.
² Granite is also required to fund three fish habitat improvement projects at a cost of $192,000.

Largest DEQ-issued Penalties