20 Oregon Facilities With The Most EPA Fines
Tuesday, January 06, 2015
ATI Allvac, a metal manufacturing facility in Albany, had the most fines over the past five years at $2,475,000. Their most recent fine of $825,000 was for the mismanagement of hazardous waste. The company has been out of compliance with environmental regulations for over two years, according to EPA.
Slideshow Below: 20 Oregon Facilities With The Most EPA Fines
Some environmental experts feel that fines don't do enough to stop pollution. The law firm Smith and Lowney specializes in suing EPA violators.
“We are disappointed with the lack for enforcement and [the firm] works to step in where the government has not forced compliance with the law,” Knoll Lowney said. “Time and time again, there will be companies who will be violating [regulations].”
The EPA issues fines as a result of complaints, inspections, or failure to follow permits.
TDY Industries were fined $825,000 for illegally dumping millions of pounds of hazardous waste in 2013. The plant, which uses anhydrous magnesium chloride in a chemical extra process for the refining of rare metals, had been improperly storing and dumping chemicals for three years, according to EPA media statement.
Some EPA fines take years to process. Johnson Crushing International, a heavy machine manufacturer, was cited for failure to comply with air quality standards in the mid 2000s. However, it was not until 2011 the company was fined $147,778.
Jeff Schwarz, president of Johnson Crushing, said the violation helped get them on track with environmental standards.
However, some companies feel paying the fine is cheaper than trying to prove fight the charges in court.
Jones International Group, now Export Global Metals, was fined $17,000 in 2011 for a shipment of batteries that violated environmental standards, according to spokesman Peter Houghton. Although Houghton said the batteries were sent without the company’s knowledge, it would have cost more to litigate than pay the fine.
Issuing Fines
Fines are levied based on the size of the company, according to Leslie Carlough, senior policy advisor for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
Larger facilities and companies tend to have more complicated regulations to follow, and therefore tend to have more violations, Carlough said.
Companies react to these fines differently. Carlough said the DEQ has done studies that show smaller companies tend to be more impacted by the cost of fines, while larger operations care more about the impact on violations have on their company image.
Michael Read, general manger of Oak Lodge Sanitary District, said his company and other waste treatment facilities see most violations due to overflows, power outages, and outdated infrastructure.
“We hate paying fines, it takes away money that would go into operations,” Read said. “In the water industry we are environmentalists. We don’t like system failures any more than they do.”
Read said facilities view fines much like speeding tickets— it’s a reason to be cautious and follow set guidelines.
Oregon’s EPA violations are relatively small compared to the rest of the nation. The state is less industrialized than many, but also has a reputation for being environmental friendly, Carlough said.
“Businesses here have a green culture,” Carlough said. “It feels to me like local businesses are very on board to make sure to protect the environment.”
Related Slideshow: 20 Oregon Facilities With The Most EPA Fines
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