Vancouver-based Albina Asphalt fined $27K for improper waste disposal

Vancouver-based asphalt manufacturer and distributor Albina Asphalt was fined $27,000 Thursday by the Washington Department of Ecology for not properly managing dangerous waste, including liquid asphalt, diesel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a toxic chemical.

In 2023, Ecology inspectors documented problems with how the company was managing waste. Because the company didn’t know what was in its waste, it didn’t properly manage it at the time, according to an Ecology news release.

“When a company fails to determine if its waste is dangerous, it creates significant risks to human health and the environment,” stated Katrina Lassiter, who manages Ecology’s Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction program. “These failures placed human health and the environment at risk and took place in an area where communities already experience higher levels of pollution and socio-economic challenges.”

State and federal regulations require companies to know what’s in their waste. Dangerous wastes come with specific requirements for management, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal to protect human health and the environment.

Albina Asphalt has taken action to resolve its violations and properly manage its waste, the news release states.

The company has worked closely with Ecology over the past year, and the facility is now in compliance, Albina Asphalt Operations Manager Kevin Jeffers said in a statement.

“We recognize and value the importance of proper documentation and protocol for storing, transporting and disposing of the material,” Jeffers said. “Albina Asphalt appreciates the continued partnership with Ecology to protect the health of the local community and the environment.”

The company has 30 days to pay the penalty or appeal it to Washington’s Pollution Control Hearings Board.