The Washington Department of Ecology has fined the city of Vancouver $60,000 for spilling nearly 600,000 gallons of raw sewage into the Columbia River.

VANCOUVER, WA, JAN 7, 2019 -- The Washington Department of Ecology has fined the city of Vancouver $60,000 for spilling nearly 600,000 gallons of raw sewage into the Columbia River.

The Washington Times reported that a 15-month investigation into spills in September and October 2017 led to the fine.

After the fine was announced Friday, the city sent out a news release saying it recently concluded a series of improvements to the plant which includes a new $2.2 million emergency pumping system.