The Washington Department of Ecology announced they have leveled a $135,000 fine against a Portland-based contractor for repeated water quality violations at a Ridgefield site, the third time the department has imposed six-figure fines on housing developments in North Clark County this year.
On June 13, Ecology announced 1108 South Hillhurst Subdivision LLC received the fine due to not meeting requirements of a stormwater permit for construction work at the Vista Ridge Planned Urban Development in Ridgefield.
The department stated that between September and February, its inspectors found seven instances of polluted construction stormwater making its way to a tributary of Gee Creek. The contractor also violated permitting by not submitting discharge monitoring reports, having insufficient sediment controls and unstabilized soils.
Gee Creek’s position as a tributary to the Columbia River makes it a potential home for a number of salmon species, Ecology stated. Stormwater runoff from construction sites can carry sediments, chemicals and debris that can harm aquatic life and overall reduce water quality.
According to a notice of penalty document, the development received a notice listing required corrections to operations on Dec. 3. A Dec. 13 inspection to see if corrections were made discovered turbid stormwater breaching a stormwater pond into a course leading to Gee Creek and stormwater being pumped from another pond also leading to the creek. In both instances, the stormwater had a turbidity above 1,000 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), which was too high to get an exact reading and well above benchmark levels, the notice stated.
An inspection a week later noted limited changes were made to address water quality, though the worksite was still in violation of state law and permit requirements. That inspection discovered soils on the site weren’t adequately stabilized, leading to erosion which generated the turbid water.
On Jan. 6, the city of Ridgefield contacted Ecology to let the department know of continued erosion at the site. By early February, inspections showed construction stormwater stopped discharging from the site, though later in the month an inspection turned up another instance of highly turbid runoff coming from the site. That discharge stopped in March, according to the notice.
Ecology reported nine violations at the site, the notice stated, including pollution of waters of the state and several instances the contractor did not follow best management practices.
The announcement of the Hillhurst Road development violations follows two other fines above $130,000 leveled at companies building developments in North Clark County this year. In March, Ecology announced it fined Rotschy, Inc. for $131,000 over water quality and permitting violations at a development near the corner of Northwest 179th Street and Northwest 11th Avenue. Construction stormwater from that site discharged into Packard Creek, the department stated.
In February, Ecology fined Hamilton Excavating LLC for $136,000 for similar violations at a development in La Center where turbid stormwater discharge impacted the East Fork Lewis River.
1108 South Hillhurst Subdivision LLC has 30 days to pay the penalty or file an appeal with the state Pollution Control Hearings Board. Both Rotschy Inc. and Hamilton Excavating LLC have open appeals with the board.
