SHERIDAN, Ore. – Oregon environmental regulators have issued one of their largest penalties in recent years, fining wood treatment company Stella-Jones more than $1 million for repeated pollution violations at its Sheridan facility. Yet despite years of contamination concerns, the company will be allowed to continue operating under tighter oversight.
A Long List of Violations
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) cited Stella-Jones for 23 separate violations stretching back to 2022. They include:
- Releasing polluted stormwater into the South Yamhill River, a drinking water source for nearly 6,000 Sheridan residents.
- Illegally disposing of hazardous wastes at landfills not authorized to accept them.
- Failing to report and promptly clean up chemical spills.
The steepest portion of the fine—over $877,000—was tied to the company’s cost savings from sidestepping compliance. DEQ estimated Stella-Jones saved $577,000 by not cleaning its stormwater treatment system, a measure that might have reduced the spread of toxic chemicals.
“These releases had a significant adverse impact on human health or the environment,” DEQ wrote in its enforcement letter.
Why the Facility Remains Open
Despite the violations, DEQ stopped short of revoking Stella-Jones’ permit to discharge water into the river. Agency spokesperson Dylan Darling said that shutting the site would remove the state’s ability to regulate pollution.
“If we revoked the permit, DEQ would lose a tool to regulate the facility — and because it is a Superfund site, it would still be generating contamination and stormwater that needs treatment,” Darling explained…