Justice Department Sues Over Pollution in Puyallup River The U.S. Department of Justice says the owners of a hydroelectric project in south-central Washington violated the … On a visit to the river Thursday with The Seattle Times, Sylvia Miller, vice chairwoman of the Puyallup Tribal council, said she was sick at heart because of the spill. ... Not only are rain gardens beautiful and easy to maintain, they are also highly effective at filtering pollution out of stormwater runoff and slowing the flow of runoff into local creeks and rivers. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. By Nicole Jennings September 15, 2020 at 11:10 am. The Puyallup River is the second most polluted in the Puget Sound area and its salmon runs are being harmed, which in turn hurts orcas. Puyallup tribe files federal suit against Electron Dam, citing pollution, fish kills. Eddie Izzard to use the pronouns 'she' and 'her' It is the sound. He said he knew the spill would happen. Justice Department sues over pollution in Puyallup River 11/26/2020. Newsletters The Puyallup flows to Commencement Bay and Puget Sound. The Justice Department is seeking $55,800 per day for each violation. The Electron Dam, about 42 miles southeast of Seattle in Pierce County, is a 10-foot-high wooden dam, about 200 feet long, that diverts water into a 10-mile-long wooden flume conveying water to the dam’s powerhouse. The Puyallup Tribe claims the pollution that happened in July endangered Chinook salmon and other species that call the Puyallup River home. the removal of the Electron Dam on the Puyallup River, after its owners, Electron Hydro, LLC, polluted the river with sheets of artificial turf during a recent construction project. The Puyallup Tribe was first alerted to the spill by a social media post put up July 31 by Derek Van Giesen, a former employee of Electron Hydro, an owner of the Electron Hydropower Project. Justice Department sues over pollution in Puyallup River. U.S. Justice Department Suing Over Puyallup River Pollution The U.S. Justice Department is suing the owners of the Electron dam for violating the Clean Water Act by polluting the Puyallup River. Van Giesen in his social media post showed the placement of the artificial turf in a video in which he kicked drifts of black crumb rubber with his shoe to show the volume of rubber debris. The night of July 29, the diverted river — well known for its rock-chucking high flows — ripped pieces of the liner and turf loose, sending hunks of artificial turf and a torrent of loose black crumb rubber downriver. Nov. 26, 2020 Updated: Nov. 26, 2020 3:02 p.m. ... LLC, which owns the Electron Hydroelectric Project on the Puyallup River. “It hurts to see how much damage they are doing to our lands and waters, everyone’s lands and waters.”. Puyallup River Outreach Program focuses efforts to restore and protect the Puyallup River watershed. The total number of fish lost was unknown, she reported, “but my best educated guess would be in the thousands,” including unauthorized lethal take of ESA-listed fall chinook, winter steelhead and bull trout in all life stages. Pierce County wants removal of dam that polluted Puyallup River with artificial turf; Feds tell Puyallup River dam owner to clean up after crumb rubber was released into river November 26, 2020. The turf can break down and discharge toxins in the river that contains salmon and bull trout. SEATTLE (AP) — The owners of a hydroelectric project in south-central Washington violated the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Department of Justice says in a lawsuit seeking monetary damages and cleanup work. Facility Operational Puyallup's largest ever public works project, at a total cost of about $27 million, reached a milestone on April 27, 1999, when sewage was re-routed through the City's newly expanded Water Pollution Control Plant. The consultant estimated the rate of travel in the water at 2 mph. “It will always be a fish killer. U.S. Justice Department suing over Puyallup River pollution November 26, 2020 GMT The civil suit was filed against Electron Hydro, LLC, Wednesday at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. District Court for the Western District, The Seattle Times reported . Replacement of the old dam with new equipment is intended to address the problems with a dam, identified in a 2005 watershed analysis as “the most serious single threat to Chinook salmon in the watershed area,” according a letter written by federal regulators back when the dam was owned by Puget Sound Energy. “Fish are important. by Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times Chinook from the river are critical to endangered southern resident killer whales, which primarily feed on chinook. It is the mountain. The turf can break down and discharge toxins in the river that contains salmon and bull trout. It should ultimately be taken down. Clean Water Act: The Clean Water Act (CWA), as we know it today, came into effect in 1972. Reconstruction at the dam is intended, along with screens and other equipment, to prevent fish and sediment from entering the flume, used to deliver water for the project. Justice Department Sues Over Pollution in Puyallup River The U.S. Department of Justice says the owners of a hydroelectric project in south-central Washington violated the … Intended lawsuit over Puyallup River artificial turf pollution grows. The pollution is the result of unpermitted use of thousands of yards of artificial turf by the dam’s owners while reconstructing parts of the dam. Thursday, November 26, 2020 3:13pm SEATTLE (AP) — The owners of a hydroelectric project in south-central Washington violated the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Department of Justice says in a lawsuit seeking monetary damages and cleanup work. Justice Department sues over pollution in Puyallup River. (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times), Many of the earliest COVID ‘long-haulers’ still suffer; Seattle researchers are trying to figure out why, How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Seattle, King County and Washington state, Coronavirus daily news updates, January 25: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world, DNA puts a name to one of the last unidentified victims of the Green River killer, Stealth Navy SEAL training in 28 Washington state parks? The company then diverted the river into the bypass channel to create a dry area to continue ongoing work at its dam. The company didn’t notify regulators of the incident, but it came to light when an Electron Hydro employee outraged with what happened in a river he had fished all his life posted on social media. U.S. files lawsuit over pollution in Puyallup River Updated 2:52 pm CST, Thursday, November 26, 2020 ... LLC, which owns the Electron Hydroelectric Project on the Puyallup River. Facility Operational Puyallup's largest ever public works project, at a total cost of about $27 million, reached a milestone on April 27, 1999, when sewage was re-routed through the City's newly expanded Water Pollution Control Plant. And when I see this degrading take place it affects me internally. The river flows through the reservation of the Puyallup Tribe, which has fished and lived along its waters since time immemorial. Justice Department sues over pollution in Puyallup River. The crumb rubber rapidly and widely dispersed into the river and has traveled at least 19 miles downstream, according to the suit. This is what ELECTRON HYDRO is putting under the rubber Mats at the temporary spillway,at the head works of the flume on…. The company did not inform regulators of the pollution discharge until Aug. 4, according to a consultant’s report on the spill prepared for Electron Hydro. I don’t know how you clean it up, the damage is done and will probably continue past when I am on my deathbed,” he said. Fish and Wildlife reported a fish kill on the river the same day, as Electron Hydro dewatered a stretch of the river during routine maintenance at its dam, causing what the department described as “a large fish kill, resulting in the loss of ESA-listed species, including Chinook, and bull trout, along with coho, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and sculpin.”. The dam, formerly owned by Puget Sound Energy, is 116 years old and produces electricity for about 20,000 homes. U.S. Justice Department suing over Puyallup River pollution. But 600 square yards (500 square meters) of the turf tore into pieces and entered the river channel. Van Giesen said in an interview he put up the post because as a lifelong fisherman who grew up along the Puyallup, he was disgusted by what he saw. News > Pacific NW Rubber debris litters miles of Puyallup River after artificial turf was used in dam project without permit. (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times), Pieces of rubber from artificial turf used in a retrofit of Electron Dam are found on the banks of the Puyallup River 14 miles down from the dam. Before the river tore hunks of the turf away, walking on the liner “was like walking on a waterbed,” VanGiesen said. Chris Spens, director of regulatory and environmental affairs for Tollhouse Energy Company in Bellingham, which owns the dam with Electron Hydro LLC, said in an email to The Seattle Times that the company is cooperating with the Corps, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Pierce County and the state Department of Ecology to clean up the spill and do restoration and mitigation work. “It took around 45 minutes to free the individuals from the mud and during this time no fish recoveries took place as flows continued to drop, stranding more and more fish.”. “I feel anger, so much anger,” Miller said. Rubber debris litters miles of Puyallup River after artificial turf was used in dam project without permit. Piles of old artificial turf are stored nearby the Electron Dam on the Puyallup River. Share . By Nicole Jennings October 30, 2020 at 2:18 pm. While Native and non-Native people alike once fished for steelhead in the river, this decline has been of particular concern to the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. The Puyallup originates in glaciers along the slopes of Mount Rainier in the Cascades. Clean water is important … we have one mother Earth and it is being degraded as we speak.”. “Electron is committed to providing clean energy and restoring Puyallup River fisheries,” Spens wrote, and the company will deal with the spill before continuing work on the dam, he added. The U.S. Justice Department is suing the owners of the Electron dam for violating the Clean Water Act by polluting the Puyallup River. by Associated Press. Electron Hydro crews had neither the proper equipment nor used proper techniques during the dewatering procedure, resulting in fish being killed by high temperatures and lack of oxygen, according to the on-scene report written by Tara Livingood-Schott, a WDFW biologist. “Even I know the water table is right underneath the liner, and I’m just an average Joe,” he said. U.S. Justice Department suing over Puyallup River pollution November 26, 2020 GMT The civil suit was filed against Electron Hydro, LLC, Wednesday at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. District Court for the Western District, The Seattle Times reported . In black waves, drifts and bands, crumbs of rubber are polluting miles of the Puyallup River after a spill at a dam project last month. The Seattle Times reports that the Justice Department filed the lawsuit Wednesday against Electron Hydro, LLC, which owns the Electron Hydroelectric Project on the Puyallup River. According to the consultant’s report, the company, as part of its work on a bypass channel at the dam, placed 2,409 square yards of FieldTurf on the channel between July 20 and 27. The crumb rubber rapidly and widely dispersed into the river and has traveled at least 19 miles downstream, according to the suit. The department filed the lawsuit Wednesday against Electron Hydro, LLC. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only, and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. Puyallup Air Quality Index (AQI) is now Good. “I just quit. Citizens for a Healthy Bay and Puget Soundkeeper Alliance have sent Bellingham-based Electron Hydro, LLC a notice of intent to sue in 60 days over pollution in the Puyallup River. Justice Department sues over pollution in Puyallup River. Canada geese and eagles feasted on stranded fish as all attention was shifted from rescuing the fish in the dewatering channel to rescuing the workers. “This is not sand,” he said as he took video. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. It’s a new era,” he said. ‘Outraged’ over Puyallup River pollution, Pierce County exec wants Electron Dam removed. Hunks of plastic liner and waste field turf material were found all over the Puyallup River, including at least 5,000 feet downstream of the construction site. The company should not be permitted to resume its work on its project and must instead clean up the river, Anderson said. SEATTLE — The U.S. Justice Department is suing the owners of the Electron dam for violating the Clean Water Act by polluting the Puyallup River. Historically the river supported as many as 42,000 chinook. To him this latest event is nothing new in the history of a dam the tribe never wanted. In a statement, the Puyallup Tribe said that Electron Hydro “stranded, suffocated and pulverized thousands of adults and juvenile fish” during construction work this past summer. From the stop order: “The use of astro-turf in a river system where it can break down and discharge potential toxins into the water is not considered a suitable material.”. “Millions of tiny rubber beads … all washed down the river and are polluting my lifelong fishing holes. Van Giesen said the turf came from a pile stored on the property of a neighboring rock quarry. Justice Department sues over pollution in Puyallup River. The rubber probably reached Orting within nine hours, and Tacoma and Commencement Bay within 20 hours. The U.S. Justice Department is suing the owners of the Electron dam for violating the Clean Water Act by polluting the Puyallup River. Posted November 26, 2020 5:59 p.m. EST Updated November 26, 2020 6:00 p.m. EST Rubber debris already is likely more than 40 miles downriver in Puget Sound. The pile is at least one story high and as long as a football field. The river is home to eight ocean-migrating fish populations, including chinook, coho, chum, pink and sockeye salmon, steelhead trout, bull trout and sea-run cutthroat trout. Get real-time, historical and forecast PM2.5 and weather data. “The situation was becoming increasingly urgent to free the two, as they were sinking slowly by the minute,” she wrote. The run is greatly diminished today to a little over 1,000 fish and was listed for protection in 1999 under the ESA. SEATTLE — The U.S. Justice Department is suing the owners of the Electron dam for violating the Clean Water Act by polluting the Puyallup River. Lynda specializes in coverage of the environment, natural history, and Native American tribes. We are going to do our best at the tribe to make that happen. The Puyallup is one of the most polluted rivers in the Puget Sound area, and the contaminants are hurting the river's salmon. Rubber debris already is likely more than 40 miles downriver in Puget Sound. Currently Reading. The Puyallup Tribe’s Water Quality staff monitors water quality to provide a basis for the Puyallup Tribe, the EPA, the Washington State Department of Ecology, local governments and others to protect and restore the waters in the Puyallup River basin. The turf was intended to function as an underlayment for a plastic liner put on top of it. A A. Fish regularly are entrapped and killed at the dam, long a problem known to regulators. Justice Department sues over pollution in Puyallup River November 27, 2020 Agriculture , Environment , News , Outdoors , Washington , Wildlife The owners of a hydroelectric project in south-central Washington violated the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Department of Justice says in a lawsuit seeking monetary damages and cleanup work. She was on hand to assist with fish sampling and counting. The Puyallup River (/ p juː ˈ æ l ə p / pew-AL-əp) is a river in the U.S. state of Washington.About 45 miles (72 km) long, it is formed by glaciers on the west side of Mount Rainier.It flows generally northwest, emptying into Commencement Bay, part of Puget Sound.The river and its tributaries drain an area of about 948 square miles (2,460 km 2) in Pierce County and southern King County. Nov. 26, 2020 Updated: Nov. 26, 2020 3:02 p.m. ... LLC, which owns the Electron Hydroelectric Project on the Puyallup River. (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times), Pieces of rubber from artificial turf used in a retrofit of Electron Dam are found on the banks of the Puyallup River 14 miles from the dam. PSE sold the dam to Electron in 2014, but still sells electricity from the project. What is on video here is just a small portion of the spill …, “All the rubber is actually inside the astro turf … and spills out when moved.”. U.S. Justice Department sues over Puyallup River pollution The U.S. Justice Department is suing the owners of the Electron dam for violating the Clean Water Act by polluting the Puyallup River. TodayHeadline U.S. files lawsuit over pollution in Puyallup River ... LLC, which owns the Electron Hydroelectric Project on the Puyallup River. Fourteen miles down river, there it was again, in black nubby necklaces around rocks, in bands along the shore, in heaps on the river’s sandy bank. A piece of the artificial turf in the Puyallup River. More than 40 miles of the Puyallup River were polluted by crumb rubber, officials say. It hurts.”. The question now is how to clean up the mess, just weeks before adult chinook salmon listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act are expected to arrive on their homeward journey. For Bill Sterud, chairman of the Puyallup Tribe, the rubber spill is personally painful. Immediately downstream of the dam, it lay in streaks of black on the beach. The consultant, Shane Cherry of Shane Cherry Consulting of Fort Myers, Florida, estimated that at least 617 square yards of the artificial turf was ruptured by the river; about 1,792 square yards remain in place under the liner. It is the forest. He walked off the job over the installation of the turf liner and a large fish kill at the dam that took place the same day of the spill, which occurred overnight on July 29. The river would have deposited crumb rubber all along the way, a distance of some 40 miles, in channel margins, in deep pools, in coves and river bends, and continued redistributing it ever since. “To me, my church is the river. Thursday, November 26, 2020 3:13pm SEATTLE (AP) - The U.S. Justice Department is suing the owners of the Electron dam for violating the Clean Water Act by polluting the Puyallup River.. U.S. files lawsuit over pollution in Puyallup River. Everywhere he looked for it along the river, Russ Ladley, resource protection manager for the Puyallup Tribe, saw crumbs of black rubber. The department filed the lawsuit Wednesday against Electron Hydro, LLC. Vote on expanded access is coming this week. The lawsuit contends the company in July without authorization used old field turf from a dump as a bottom layer when it diverted the river. California faces 'darkest days' of COVID-19. Justice Department sues over pollution in Puyallup River. Sun., Aug. 30, 2020. U.S. files lawsuit over pollution in Puyallup River Updated 2:52 pm CST, Thursday, November 26, 2020 ... LLC, which owns the Electron Hydroelectric Project on the Puyallup River. Share . The work became dangerous for the crew, too, as two of them sank in mud up to their waists, she reported. Lisa Anderson, tribal attorney, shook her head and grimaced at the mess. At least 4 to 6 cubic yards of crumb rubber — each piece about the size of a fat coffee ground — was released to the river, in the pristine upper reaches of the Puyallup, about 6 miles from the boundary with Mount Rainier National Park. The lawsuit contends the company in July without authorization used old field turf from a dump as a bottom layer when it diverted the river. Lisa Anderson, environmental attorney for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, said the fine could exceed $10 million. Officials at Electron Hydro could not be reached for comment. (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times), Sylvia Miller, vice chair of the Puyallup Tribal Council, said she is angry and heartbroken over pollution to the river from a project at the Electron Dam. A stop-work order was imposed on the company’s construction project Aug. 7 by Pierce County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In black waves, drifts and bands, crumbs of rubber are polluting miles of the Puyallup River after a spill at a dam project last month. That is my goal and my hope of what we should strive for. Read the air pollution in Puyallup, Washington with AirVisual. www.q13fox.com Reactions: Yardus Maximus, Salmo_g, Peyton00 and 1 other person. I knew it was not the right place for me. Justice Department sues over pollution in Puyallup River. It flows about 65 miles to Commencement Bay and forms the third largest tributary to Puget Sound. Thursday, November 26th 2020. The Justice Department is seeking $55,800 per day for each violation. The U.S Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Electron Hydro on Wednesday for putting field turf in the riverbed of the Puyallup River while working on a construction project. This was not the first trouble at Electron Dam. U.S. Justice Department suing over Puyallup River pollution Nov. 26, 2020 Updated: Nov. 26, 2020 8:12 a.m. Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest
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