MEDFORD, Ore. — The owner of a Medford building has been fined nearly $30,000 for failing to prove hazardous waste has been removed.
The Mail Tribune reported that Lake Oswego, Ore.-based General Property Group inherited the waste two years ago when it bought the former Medford Plating building.
The state Department of Environmental Quality inspected the property last year and discovered various chemicals used in metal plating stored inside and outside the building.
State records show the company is appealing the fine.
The company says it has complied with DEQ directives, despite not knowing the prior owner was out of compliance at the time of purchase.
The company also asserts that DEQ knew about the issue for years but didn’t act on that information until after the building was sold.