Heavenly Ski Resort Fined $120K for Putting Oil in Lake Tahoe

Heavenly Valley ski resort on Lake Tahoe in California has been fined $120,000 for environmental violations by California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control.  The events being penalized occurred in September 2010.

HEAVENLY’S ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS:

– Lack of controls to prevent spillage and overflow of a used oil tank

– Failure to have a tank holding used oil assessed and inspected

– Failure to provide ongoing training to the emergency coordinator managing hazardous waste

– Failure to maintain secondary containment for the used oil tank

– Failure to provide secondary containment to pipes connected to the tank.

The fines include $94,000 for environmental violations and $26,000 for administrative costs.

“Compliance with the Hazardous Waste Control is vital to protecting the environment close to Lake Tahoe,” Paul Kewin, assistant deputy director of the DTSC’s Enforcement and Emergency Response program, said in a press release issued on Wednesday. “The settlement signifies the department’s continuing efforts to uphold both environment safety and compliance with existing law.”

We’ve got to protect this special lake of ours.  Hopefully this will be an example for other industrial complexes in the Tahoe basin to keep it clean.