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Federal Court approves $700,000 settlement to resolve EPA claim at Circle DE Lumber site in Klamath Falls

Release Date: 04/12/2011
Contact Information: Alexander Fidis, EPA ORC, (206) 553-4710, [email protected], Tony Brown, EPA Public Affairs, (206) 553-1203, [email protected]

(Seattle – April 12, 2011) Jeld-Wen Inc., located in Klamath Falls, will pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency $700,000 for costs incurred by EPA during a contaminated site cleanup conducted at the Circle DE Lumber site in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon approved the settlement agreement between Jeld-Wen Inc., and the United States.

In addition to the money recovered under the agreement, EPA has also recovered nearly $208,000 in an administrative settlement with the current owner of the site, Daniel Brown.

The Circle DE Lumber site is a three-acre former lumber mill and wood treating facility. Operations at the site included treating milled lumber in a 1,000 gallon dip tank that contained a solution of diesel oil and pentachlorophenol (PCP). Use of the dip tank resulted in the release of high concentrations of PCP, dioxin, and petroleum hydrocarbons to soils around the dip tank.

In 2005, Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality requested EPA assistance to clean up the site due to its immediate hazard to the environment. Between October 2005 and February 2006, EPA cleaned up the property by removing the old dip tank and excavating and properly disposing of more than 500 tons of soil contaminated with PCP, dioxin, and petroleum hydrocarbons.

After completing the cleanup action, EPA sought cost recovery from the current owner of the site, Mr. Daniel Brown, and from Jeld-Wen, owner/operator of the Circle DE Lumber site between 1971 and 1973. EPA quickly settled with Mr. Brown, however, EPA was unable to negotiate a settlement with Jeld-Wen. In April 2010, the US Department of Justice filed suit against Jeld-Wen seeking full recovery of the government’s costs.

For additional information about the Circle DE Lumber site visit: http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=1933