DEQ fines Coos Bay $8,000 because of sludge overflow

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has fined the City of Coos Bay because of a sludge overflow this winter.

The (Coos Bay) World reports (https://is.gd/Vp1Zof ) the city has less than three weeks to contest the $8,000 penalty.

The DEQ says the incident happened Jan. 13 when a pump was left running at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The DEQ says sludge represents a public health threat because it could contaminate shellfish.

The city could face additional fines of $1,600 a day if it does not begin work on the wastewater treatment plant no. 2 replacement project by Sept. 12.

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Information from: The World, https://www.theworldlink.com