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43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, January 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 22, 2003 Don’t dump into storm drain: It’s now a crime By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Letting dirty motor oil run into a nearby storm drain is no longer merely a code violation; it’s a crime worthy of jail time. The Medford City Council Thursday approved an addition to its stormwater ordinance that makes the discharge of pollutants — such as grass clippings, anti-freeze and toxic waste — a crime "punishable by a fine of $1,000 per occurrence and imprisonment not exceeding one year." Up till now, the Public Works department could only issue warnings and turn over persistent violators to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. According to Public Works Director Cory Crebbin, DEQ doesn’t have the staff available to investigate violators, so sometimes habitual offenders get away with polluting streams. Councilman Jason Anderson said that nowhere in the code language does it say there will be a warning. Advertisement He was concerned the city would start issuing citations without a warning. "What’s to prevent the city from changing its practice?" he asked. But councilman John Michaels said he did not want to require that a warning be part of the ordinance. "If someone knows they can just get a warning for a blatant violation, they might go ahead and do a major dump," he said. Crebbin said following the meeting that typically people respond to warnings, and not everyone realizes that storm drains empty directly into streams. He said the ordinance change provides a definition so that uncooperative violators can be reported to police or code enforcement officers, and they can issue citations. He said the problem with letting DEQ handle it is that it takes a long time, and it’s been a gray area for both the city and state. Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said DEQ is mandating that cities take over the monitoring and enforcement. What this means for people who allow illegal discharge to go into gutters or storm drains is that it’s not a violation anymore. "It is a crime," he said. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times