Ballard Firm Fined $12,000 by State Department of Ecology

Lake Washington as seen in the Seattlest Flickr pool.

Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel Co. has been fined $12,000 by the Washington State Department of Ecology for spilling sand and gravel into the Lake Washington ship canal. The company, which has been operating in Ballard since 1907, spilled sand and gravel mixtures, which can damage the marine habitat and clog the gills of fish from shoreside bunkers. They have also been cited by the Department of Ecology for lacking a spill-response plan and for not having any records of required stormwater inspections.

After noticing the spills in 2008, the Department of Ecology tried to discuss the problem with Salmon Bay, but representatives of the Ballard firm failed to respond, which caused the issue to escalate. "This case escalated into a penalty because Salmon Bay did not respond," said Kevin Fitzpatrick, Ecology’s regional water-quality supervisor. "Most of the violations themselves require fairly straightforward corrections."

Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel is part of a group of companies attempting to stop the "missing link" of the Burke-Gilman Trail from being built. They have 30 days to appeal the penalty. We can’t help wondering what stopped them from talking to the Department of Ecology. Something’s a bit off when a company fails to respond to a government notice of this caliber.