Puyallup River Pollution: Electron Hydro Fined $501K For Spill

PUYALLUP, WA — The Washington Department of Ecology has fined Electron Hydro, LLC for a construction mishap last summer that dumped artificial turf into the Puyallup River.

Last summer, Electron Hydro hired crews to replace an aging diversion dam on the Puyallup River. But during the construction, crews left artificial turf in the dam's spillway, which in July broke free and washed the river with plastic and rubber debris. The rubber chunks have been found up to 21 miles downstream of the construction site, and may have even made their way into Tacoma's Commencement Bay 41 miles away, the Department of Ecology said.

“These toxic materials had no place in the river,” said Ecology Director Laura Watson in a statement. “The force of the water tore the turf apart, washed it down river, and sent it right into the food web. This is an environmental tragedy that didn’t have to happen.”

Electron Hydro has been fined $501,000 for the pollution. The company had previously been sued three times over the incident.

Investigators say Electron Hydro did not request the required authorization before setting up the sports turf last summer. Crews had installed the turf to secure the ground while diverting the Puyallup River into a bypass channel, but river rocks shifted in the flow and broke through the liner — sending about 617 square yards of astroturf and between 4-6 cubic yards of crumb rubber loose into the river.

Despite the spill, crews reportedly left the remainding turf in place through late October. During that time, the Department of Ecology says even more pieces of astroturf were ripped off and washed away.

Electron Hydro also failed to immediately report the spill to the appropriate agencies, Ecology says. Instead, authorities were only alerted to the problem when a citizen reported the spill.

"Electron Hydro did not report this release to Ecology or the other permitting agencies," the department said. "A citizen reported to Ecology on July 30 about the use of sports turf and crumb rubber in the river. The company later informed Ecology that it had begun cleaning turf materials from the river and shorelines, and reported early in its cleanup that it had placed 13,000 pounds at a landfill."

As a result, on top of the $501,000 fine, the Department of Ecology is ordering Electron Hydro to make several proactive changes. Going forward, the company will be required to create plans to better monitor the Puyallup river's water quality and the dam's impact on the river, and submit an annual water quality monitoring report.