VISTA
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A manufacturing company that recently moved to Vista has been fined $6,600 for dumping chemicals into the sewer system and told to improve its operations.
Hocking International relocated from National City last year, and by April it had received its first violation notice and a $6,000 fine from Encina Wastewater Authority after blue dye was found in the sewer.
Hocking received three more notices in June and July.
Encina General Manager Mike Hogan said the company did not respond to the notices at first.
“Initially there was resistance to do it because they didn't think we were right, but they're willing to do it now,” Hogan said.
Ed Hocking, president of Hocking International, which manufactures specialty cleaning supplies, said there was no resistance on his company's part.
“There's been some miscommunication and misunderstanding, but we're working closely now (with Encina) to resolve that and to ensure we're in compliance in the future,” Hocking said.
He said company and Encina officials met Monday and have reached a consensus on the permit requirements.
Encina Wastewater serves a 125-square-mile area from the coast to San Marcos and treats 40 million gallons of sewage a day at its plant on Avenida Encinas in Carlsbad.
Industries that discharge into the sewer are required to pretreat effluent and are subject to monitoring and inspections.
Hogan said Hocking International was the first company of its kind in the authority's area, so he consulted with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on permit requirements.
He said the chemicals are not a high risk, but the company needs to pretreat its effluent so the chemicals don't flow into the sewer and then downstream to Encina's plant.
“If we don't get a response and don't get a response, we can threaten them with a bigger fine,” Hogan said. “We could suspend their permit, or we can revoke the permit,” a step he considered.
“As of (Monday) we've got their attention, and no matter how much they disagree with the EPA regulations, they've got to comply with them,” Hogan said.
Ed Hocking said his company operated for 31 years in the San Diego Metropolitan Wastewater Department's jurisdiction, which includes part of National City, and when it moved to a plant on Park Center Drive in Vista it faced a new set of requirements.
He said that was at the heart of the differences between Encina and his company.
“Encina went through a period of time where they were checking with federal and state requirements about where we fit in with their program,” Hocking said.
One of the violations consisted of Hocking International preventing Encina inspectors from entering the plant to sample wastewater discharge.
“Hocking is in violation of the permit requirement to provide access for inspections and sampling,” Encina's June 19 notice said. “In the future access must be granted without delay or Hocking will be subject to a fine of $1,000. . . . ”
Ed Hocking denied that an inspector was refused access, saying his firm is required by federal law to make sure anyone entering the plant has proper safety equipment and an escort.
In addition to the penalty for dye in the sewer, Encina fined the company $100 for failing to notify the authority of discharges on June 16 and 18; it fined the company $500 after heavy foam triggered an alarm at a pump station June 24.
On July 24, Encina notified the company that it needed to improve record keeping.
Hocking took issue with some of the points in the notices, saying the company didn't discharge into the sewer and that another firm may have been the source of the foam.
Hocking said his company has paid the fine anyway and will abide by its permit.
Hogan said that shouldn't be difficult.
“It's just a matter of internal compliance, internal control,” Hogan said.
Michael Burge: (760) 476-8230; michael.burge@uniontrib.com
