The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released a report on its enforcement actions from January through March of this year.
Auke Bay business Fisherman’s Bend failed to “conduct tests or maintain documentation to detect or prevent releases to the environment,” according to an EPA release. The violation is listed as being under the Underground Storage Tank Program. The business, owned by the corporation Papadrew, Inc. of Juneau, was fined a total of $5,390 for its violation.
Papadrew Inc. co-owner Troy Andrew said he is surprised to hear about the fine. The marina had been fined several hundred dollars in 2011 due to late paperwork, Andrew said. Fisherman’s Bend was required to submit monthly reports for a year, Andrew said.
“And that’s what we’ve done,” Andrew said. “This month is the last month that we are required to send in the report.”
Andrew said he believes his business was following the rules.
Papadrew Inc. is owned by director and president Richard Wolfenberger, director, secretary and treasurer Sharon Andrew and director and vice president Troy Andrew.
Penalties in EPA Region 10 during its second quarter totaled $821,731. Fines ranged in size from $1,200 to over $180,000, or a stop order on a sale.
“Penalty amounts may vary depending on a variety of factors, such as the magnitude of the violation, how quickly the violations are corrected and whether there are past violations,” according to the EPA release.
Anchorage firm North American, Inc. was fined $1,500 for failure to comply with hazardous waste generator requirements in March. Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks paid a $45,700 fine in March for failure to comply with universal waste management requirements.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (12)
Add commentEPA fundraising efforts? No
EPA fundraising efforts? No indication there was any kind of spill. I wonder how many other stories we're going to see about administrative criminals.
Hopefully many. That's how
Hopefully many. That's how you prevent spills from happening in the first place. The EPA has been understaffed for too long--a law is useless if you don't have the resources to enforce it.
Time to get rid of the EPA.
Time to get rid of the EPA.
Paperwork has never prevented
Paperwork has never prevented environmental damage.
Uh huh. I'm sure people
Uh huh. I'm sure people stopped using DDT, smog became less common, and acid rain disappeared because of Ronald Reagan's winning smile.
prevention...
As PP said, it's about preventing a problem in the first place by making sure that proper monitoring is in place.
When monitoring gets skipped, (especially with underground tanks), corrosion can happen without initially realizing it and small continuous leaks can become a big problem.
what's the big deal?
I fail to see what a little leaking oil can do to Auke Bay. Heck, there's already all kinds of boats dumping oily bilge in the water there, and there's still tons of fish around.
Leave em alone!
Fine was less than $300
In this article the report of the fine amount is erroneous and Fisherman's Bend is currently in compliance.
Persnickety's irony...
Out of the mouths of the blissfully unaware, I guess.
Persnickety, you do realize of course that William Ruckelshaus, the man that championed the DDT ban, was appointed by Ronald Reagan to serve as Director of the EPA, under his administration, which he did for almost five years?
I have to admit P, you gave me a chuckle!
Story is wrong
Check your facts, Russell. You got this one wrong.
Retraction
I've googled and searched EPA's web site and found one news release dated May 3, 2012 announcing the summary of enforcement actions for winter 2012. There is no reference to Papadrew Inc. or Fisherman's Bend.
North American, Inc. and Eielson Air Force Base are listed as shown, but the only fine for $5,390.00 was assessed at the bottom of the page under the listings for Washington to the City Service Valcon Triangle Shell/Exxon LLC in Green Acres, Brewster, Alaska.
I don't expect anyone at EPA will offer to redress what appears to be a lack of quality control, but I expect the Empire to be a little more forthcoming.
Perhaps you could do a follow up story, Mr. Stigall about the State's continued failure to charge or prosecute the arsonist who set the 2008 fire.
@mediawatchdog: DDT was
@mediawatchdog: DDT was banned in the 60's, and William Ruckelshaus was first appointed by Nixon (and then Reagan).
But my point was that deregulation clearly is not the answer in this situation. "Less government" results in more leeway for businesses to ruin communal resources: water, air, land.