Department of Ecology News Release - June 20, 2000 00-112 Lapsed sand & gravel permit results in penalty OLYMPIA - The owner of a Centralia construction company has been fined $12,000 by the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) for failing to renew permits that protect water quality for three of the firm's sand-and-gravel mines. Mark Dulin of Dulin Construction was fined $4,000 for each of the three lapsed permits. Each was due for renewal by an extended deadline of May 8, 2000. Ecology's original deadline for renewal was February 1999. Two of the sand-and-gravel mines are on Foron Road in Centralia, and the third on 191st Ave. S.W. in Rochester. "The rampant growth in our state puts a lot of demand on sand-and-gravel mines, which also increases the threat of water pollution," said Keli McKay, a water-quality manager for Ecology. "Without a current, valid permit, we don't have a handle on what the mining company is doing to protect water quality." The permits protect water quality by requiring owners to manage their site to minimize the risk of water pollution. Permits require routine reporting of test results from waste-water samples. Waste discharge and storm water from sand-and-gravel mines have the potential to contain various pollutants, such as petroleum products from heavy equipment and nitrates from blasting. In addition, waste and storm water can violate state water-quality standards for temperature, turbidity and pH, a measure of the water's acidity or alkalinity. In the case of Dulin's three sand-and-gravel mines, the most immediate threat is pollution to ground water, McKay said. Polluted ground water can seep into private wells that are used by many rural home owners. Ecology administers permits on approximately 660 sand-and-gravel mines in Washington. The owner has 15 days in which to ask Ecology to reduce the fine, and 30 days to appeal the order and penalty to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board. # # # Contact: Sandy Howard, public information manager, 360-407-6239 For more information: Department of Ecology Web site - www.ecy.wa.gov/
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