Oregon DEQ issues order to Industrial Harbor to prevent overflow at closed landfill

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued an order to Industrial Harbor USA LLC requiring it to immediately hire an operator to supervise its wastewater treatment facility at the company's closed paper mill waste landfill near Gardiner, Oregon, in the southwest part of the state.

DEQ issued the order after learning that since Feb. 21 the wastewater treatment facility has not had an operator-- a violation of the facility's wastewater permit and state law. Without an operator, wastewater will overflow from an interim storage tank, which collects leachate from a papermill waste landfill, within three to five days eventually making its way to the Umpqua River. The overflow would travel from the tank to the river through a stormwater conveyance system on the property.

Leachate is the liquid that drains or leaches from a landfill. Papermill waste leachate has a high pH and contains pollutants such as ammonia and salts; however, DEQ does not expect the leachate to be toxic to fish or harmful to the public because it is diluted with rain water.

The facility's permit allows it to operate a wastewater collection, treatment, control and disposal system and discharge to waters of the state only from a permitted discharge point. When properly operated, treated leachate from the site is pumped to an outfall that discharges to the Pacific Ocean.

Such violations are subject to fines of up to $25,000 per day per violation and may also be subject to criminal penalties.