EPA takes dozens of enforcement actions in Region 10 over 15-month period

The Environmental Protection Agency released a compilation of enforcement actions taken in its Region 10 area, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington between April 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015.

Throughout this period, the EPA has pursued more than 40 cases in Region 10, addressing violations of federal laws ranging from the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures Rules and Toxic Substances Control Act. These enforcement actions are undertaken to protect public and environmental health, and to ensure that no businesses or organizations receive an unfair advantage over competitors by taking shortcuts outside federal laws.

Washington saw the most enforcement actions, with 15, while Oregon and Idaho each had nine and Alaska had eight. Hecla, Ltd., received the largest civil penalty for the year, fined $600,000 for an unpermitted discharge at the Lucky Friday Mine and Mill in Mullan, Idaho. The smallest civil penalty ordered was $210 for violations of underground storage-tank rules in Grangeville, Idaho, though some companies were simply given administrative compliance orders.

EPA Testimony Statements -- http://www.epa.gov/ocir/hearings/testimony/113_2013_2014/2013_2.htm