Diving business owner says he will appeal $197,000 fine

LACEY, Wash. — A Washington diving business owner says he plans to appeal a nearly $200,000 fine levied against him by the state Department of Ecology for dumping hazardous waste.

The Olympian reports Seasoft Scuba founder and owner Bruce Justinen says he takes issue with what he calls the "half-truths and untruths" in the Ecology news release about the $197,000 fine.

The 62-year-old Lacey business owner says information that the business had been cleaned, employees tested and that he had ceased using reclaimed lead was largely left out of the news release.

Justinen also says he was given only about an hour to supply a statement for inclusion in the release. Ecology officials say he was given ample time to respond, but that he waited too long.

Ecology says the hazardous waste was created by removing corrosion from reclaimed lead shot for diving weights.