[ad_1]
The Oregon Division of Environmental High quality is fining a Springfield hemp extraction facility almost $82,000 over allegations that they improperly transported and saved hundreds of gallons of methanol waste and different hazardous waste-related points.
The company penalized Octave Labs a complete of $81,681 in late Could for allegedly mismanaging a waste product of its cannabinoid extraction course of, in response to a DEQ discover of civil penalty. It was the most important of 4 DEQ penalties issued in Could — greater than six occasions the quantity of the following largest — and the one one issued in Lane County.
The discover alleges Octave Labs illegally saved hundreds of gallons of methanol waste on the Nice Hill facility, a few of which was saved close to post-extraction hemp waste.
“Methanol waste is extremely ignitable, and your unlawful transportation and storage of the waste resulted in a major hearth hazard,” the DEQ discover of civil penalty reads.
DEQ alleges containers of methanol waste, petroleum distillate and acetone saved on the facility weren’t labeled as hazardous waste.
Octave Labs submitted a request for an attraction to the penalties June 16, arguing towards many DEQ claims and requesting a gathering with DEQ earlier than a proper listening to.
The discover of civil penalty alleges Octave Labs transported about 1,300 gallons of spent methanol, created in the course of the extraction course of, from its Springfield facility to its Nice Hill facility in December 2019 with no uniform hazardous waste manifest. DEQ fined Octave Labs $13,200 for the violation, in response to the discover of civil penalty.
In its letter of attraction, Octave Labs asserts the corporate is “with out enough proof to kind a perception as to the reality of the allegations and due to this fact denies the identical.” Octave Labs used these phrases to refute most of the claims DEQ specified by the penalty discover.
The DEQ discover alleges Octave Labs saved the waste at its Nice Hill facility previous the 90 days allowed with no allow. DEQ fined Octave Labs $20,707 for the alleged violation.
DEQ fined Octave Labs one other $13,200 for allegedly not having a plan for personnel in case of fires, explosions or hazardous waste spills, in response to the civil penalty discover.
DEQ’s allegations additionally embrace a $13,200 high quality for allegedly storing ignitable hazardous waste inside 15 meters of the property line, in response to the discover of civil penalty; an $18,074 high quality for not having a hazardous waste disposal web site allow; and a $3,300 high quality for an premature declaration of the methanol waste and different waste as hazardous.
Octave Labs obtained further penalties with out fines for different alleged violations associated to the storage and labeling of hazardous waste, in response to the penalty discover.
Although Octave Labs denies most of the claims within the DEQ discover of civil penalty, the corporate mentioned in its attraction it’ll voluntarily submit documentation relating to recycling and disposal of the petroleum merchandise and acetone merchandise at its facility in Nice Hill; submit a plan for the re-use or disposal of the post-extraction hemp materials at its facility in Nice Hill; and submit emergency personnel plans for the Nice Hill web site.
DEQ, within the discover of penalty, applauds Octave Labs for taking some steps to mitigate points at their amenities, however notes the corporate nonetheless has not met all authorized necessities, similar to documentation the hazardous waste has been disposed of correctly.
In Could, DEQ additionally issued penalties to:
- Metropolis of Baker Metropolis ($8,924) regarding wastewater points
- McFarlane’s Bark Inc. ($12,894) in Milwaukie regarding wastewater points
- Sunset Sanitary District ($1,200) in Astoria regarding wastewater points
Contact reporter Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@registerguard.com. Comply with on Twitter @DuvernayOR.
[ad_2]
Source link
