Port of Morrow gets Oregon’s second-largest environmental penalty
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has fined the Port of Morrow $2.1 million for repeatedly overapplying wastewater containing nitrogen to agricultural fields and failing to monitor those fields.
DEQ increased its original $1.3 million fine, issued in January, after finding additional wastewater violations. DEQ found the port, located in Boardman, violated its permit 2,155 times.
It’s the second-largest fine in DEQ history.
The port is within the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area, so designated because the groundwater already has high levels of nitrates.
Last month, Morrow County declared a state of emergency after testing showed private wells had high nitrate concentrations. The county is distributing bottled water to residents.
The port has appealed the penalty.
Seven fines levied during June
In addition to the port's revised fine, DEQ announced seven more penalties issued during June, totaling $182,295.
Recipients can appeal their fines by requesting a hearing within 20 calendar days of receiving their penalty letter. DEQ sometimes reduces or eliminates fines after appeals. Recipients also may be able to resolve part of their penalties by completing or sponsoring an environmental project instead of paying a fine.
Here are the other fines:
ICON Construction & Development, Canby, $114,089: For multiple construction stormwater permit violations at its Beckwood, Hamilton Acres, Redwood Landing II and Redwood Landing III residential developments in Canby. Violations included starting construction without obtaining permit coverage, making false statements on erosion and sediment control plans, failing to implement those plans, and placing wastes where they were likely to enter waters of the state.
Chemical Waste Management of the Northwest, Arlington, $24,000: For hazardous waste disposal violations. Specifically, it disposed of 2,038 gallons of corrosive ammonium sulfate waste in the facility’s lined surface impoundment without first treating the waste to deactivate the corrosivity.
Wood Waste Management, Portland, $18,941: For operating a scrap and waste material facility that discharges stormwater to a ditch leading to the Columbia Slough without a stormwater permit; and for tracking a significant amount of waste onto NE 47th Ave., which is mixing with stormwater and discharging to the Columbia Slough.
City of Hood River, $7,700: For discharging treated sewage with daily concentrations of E. coli greater than five times the permitted limit, and failing to conduct required toxics monitoring.
Tualatin Valley Water District, Beaverton, $7,200: For discharging between 87,000 and 150,000 gallons of dechlorinated drinking water from a storage tank on W. Burnside Road in Portland, causing a significant increase in turbidity in Balch Creek.
Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Beaverton, $5,640: For discharging winery operation wastewater, without a permit, to an unnamed tributary of McKernan Creek. The vineyard also failed to collect required wastewater land application data for three years.
Rogue Valley Stations, Ashland, $4,725: For violating an order to submit its 2020 annual report to DEQ, and failing to submit its 2021 report, for its gas station at 461 S. Valley View Road.
Tracy Loew is a reporter at the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Port of Morrow gets Oregon’s second-largest environmental penalty
