An Oregon wood treatment facility has been polluting the South Yamhill River for years, according to a report from InvestigateWest. Regulators finally handed the company more than $1 million in fines, but they stopped short of shutting the facility down for good.
What’s happening?
Since 2022, the Stella-Jones Corporation has reportedly been dumping tainted stormwater into the South Yamhill River, which provides drinking water to nearly 6,000 people.
The Stella-Jones facility in Sheridan, Oregon, has historically treated wood with pentachlorophenol. This toxic and likely carcinogenic chemical prevents rotting and fungus in wood products like telephone poles.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality knew about the contamination for nearly four years, according to InvestigateWest, but until recently failed to take measures to stop it. In an enforcement notice dated Sept. 8, the DEQ issued Stella-Jones a civil penalty of $1,055,825 for 23 violations…