BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Two refineries in Anacortes have received hefty penalties for improperly storing dangerous waste.

The state Department of Ecology announced August 5 that it’s fining HF Sinclair $1.3 million and Tesoro nearly $1.4 million for the violations.

Sinclair’s fine stems from an incident in 2023 when oily wastewater overflowed into a spill containment area at the refinery that isn’t designed to store dangerous waste.

Hazardous sludge that built up from the wastewater remained in the area for 11 months before HF Sinclair disposed of it, which Ecology calls an “unacceptable” delay in cleaning the spill.

Tesoro is being penalized for mishandling highly acidic wastewater at the Marathon Anacortes Refinery, which inspectors say posed a risk of toxic release from a 150,000-gallon neutralization pond.

Regulators say the company took nine months to address the issue after it was flagged and is still working with Ecology to clean up remaining residue.

“HF Sinclair and Tesoro are two of the largest industrial facilities in the state, and safely handling millions of gallons of hazardous materials every day is their core business. They have the expertise, the resources, and the responsibility to extend that level of attention to their waste,” said Tom Buroker, director of Ecology’s Northwest Region. “In both instances, the refineries improperly held large amounts of dangerous waste over an extended period of time, which compounded the risk of serious harm to people and the environment.”

The department says it’s continuing to investigate the environmental impacts of both incidents.

Both companies have 30 days to pay the fines or appeal Ecology’s decision.