Clearwater Paper fined $350K for unreported chlorine releases at Lewiston mill

The Environmental Protection Agency fined Clearwater Paper more than $350,000 for failing to disclose releases of toxic chlorine from its pulp and paper mill at Lewiston to regulators, emergency responders or the public.

According to a news release from the agency, hundreds of pounds of the toxic gas classified as an extremely hazardous substance were released from the mill in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Some of the releases prompted evacuations at the mill and employees sought medical treatment after exposure to the gas.

“Communities and first responders near facilities using deadly chemicals have a need and a legal right to know when releases occur,” said EPA Region 10 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “These are not simple paperwork issues; the safety of workers, first responders, and residents rests on a company’s compliance with these requirements.”

Chlorine is used in the paper-bleaching process. The mill imports and stores large quantities of the gas and transfers it from railcars in a secure building designed to retain links. In a 2015 Tribune story, former Lewiston Fire Chief Travis Myklebust identified a chlorine leak as one of the biggest hazardous materials threats in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

According to a consent agreement between the company and the agency, 53 to 171 pounds of chlorine were emitted into the air over a 24-hour period on Sept. 16, 2019; 122 pounds on Sept. 20, 2019; 24 to 55 pounds on Jan. 6, 2020; and 12 pounds on Jan. 20, 2021.

In each case, the amount of chlorine released exceeded the reportable quantity of 10 pounds and requires immediate notification to the National Response Center, State Emergency Response Commission and Local Emergency Planning Commission. According to the document, the company didn’t report some of the releases until months later. The 12 pounds released in 2021 was reported about nine hours after the fact.

The company was fined a total of $367,088, including $84,769 for violations to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; $237,319 under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act; and $45,000 for under the Pollution Prevention Act.

The company did not immediately return a phone call seeking more information about the chlorine releases.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.