State penalizes depot $3,000 for violations

This story was published Wed, Jan 31, 2001

By Mary Hopkin
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON - The state Department of Environmental Quality has fined the Umatilla Chemical Depot $3,000 for some spilled oil and unlabeled wastes.

Wayne Thomas, with the DEQ, said the fine is the result of a routine, quarterly inspection last May.

Thomas said state officials discovered that Apollo Construction, a subcontractor completing a construction project at the depot for the Army Corps of Engineers, had spilled oil on the ground and also was storing used oil in unlabeled containers.

"In addition, there was waste in other containers that they could not identify," Thomas said.

The state tested the wastes and discovered they were not hazardous, but the company is required by law to do that assessment themselves, he said. "That's why these were significant violations," Thomas said.

Thomas said the violations had nothing to do with chemical weapons storage and at no time was the public in danger from the violations. The spilled oil has been cleaned up.

Citing nine violations, the state issued the depot a notice of noncompliance in August.

Thomas said the Umatilla Chemical Depot rather than the construction firm was fined because it is the owner and operator of the facility and responsible for waste on the grounds.

"The depot and other contractors might want to look at some contingency in contracts that would hold subcontractors responsible for these violations," Thomas said.

Depot spokeswoman Mary Binder said, "The depot is working very closely with the Corps to ensure this type of incident does not happen again."

The DEQ conducts regular inspections of the depot to ensure compliance with the requirements of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

 

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