Dam owner guilty in field turf pollution of Washington river

By GENE JOHNSON
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — A company that operates a hydroelectric dam near Mount Rainier National Park and its chief operating officer have each pleaded guilty to a single criminal count in connection with a spill of field turf into the Puyallup River in 2020. The company, Electron Hydro LLC, also will pay $1 million for projects to restore salmon habitat. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson initially brought three dozen misdemeanor charges against Electron and Chief Operating Officer Thom Fischer, saying they violated a permit when they used field turf as a liner during a construction project. The liner tore, sending black rubber particles down the shore for miles.