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WA facility fined for air quality violations

May 11, 2010, Spokane, WA
– The Washington Department of Ecology (WDE) fined Perfect Blend Organics LLC
of Adams County, Washington, $22,500 for violating its air quality
environmental permit.
May 11, 2010, Spokane, WA
– The Washington Department of Ecology (WDE) fined Perfect Blend Organics LLC
of Adams County, Washington, $22,500 for violating its air quality
environmental permit.

Perfect Blend processes
chicken manure to produce an organic soil fertilizer at its facility about 14
miles east of Othello, WA.

In March 2004, the WDE
approved the company’s air quality permit with several conditions. The permit
helps environmental regulators to select the correct air pollution control
equipment and practices for the facility. Perfect Blend neglected to accomplish
several requirements of the permit.

The company failed to keep
particulate matter and ammonia emissions from the plant below permit limits. Testing
conducted September 16 and 17, 2009, showed that the facility is exceeding
those limits.

Perfect Blend also failed
to submit a complete air quality permit application by December 15, 2008. The
permit application was submitted to WDE on time, but it was incomplete and
remains so. A complete application would give air quality experts an
opportunity to review changes at the facility so that they can ensure the
correct air pollution controls are in place.

Perfect Blend had 30 days
to appeal the fine to the state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board in Olympia,
WA.