Coos County Solid Waste Department repeatedly discharges turbid water to Storey Creek

Pollution Update 5-7-15

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a civil penalty in the amount of $7,634 to the Coos County Solid Waste Department on April 30 for repeated discharges of turbid water to Storey Creek and Joe Ney Slough from the construction and demolition landfill it operates near Charleston. DEQ issued an enforcement action of some kind back in January to Arclin U.S.A. concerning its Springfield facility that Oregon Clean Water Action Project requested a copy of from DEQ on April 17. DEQ has failed to respond to our request so far; we’re not sure what the holdup is, but we’ll provide the details here as soon as DEQ gets around to responding. Arclin’s discharges of pollution to waters of the state are authorized by a Clean Water Act permit that was issued by DEQ in 1994 and expired in 1999.