SEATTLE
,
October 10, 2023
(press release)
–
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Clearwater Forest Industries LLC of Kooskia, Idaho, will pay $23,950 for violations of Section 402 of the Clean Water Act. The facility had a total of 23 violations of their Multi-Sector General Permit for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity, including failure to: “These are not simple paperwork issues: they are violations of foundational requirements intended to safeguard the integrity of our Nation’s waterways,” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “EPA will continue to work through the Clean Water Act permitting program to ensure that facilities follow the law and are not putting the critical rivers, wetlands and lakes of the Pacific Northwest at risk.” The facility discharges stormwater into the South Fork of the Clearwater River, which is popular for recreation and is a tributary of the Snake River, one of the major rivers in the region. The stretch of the Clearwater River where the facility operates is considered an impaired waterway due in part to sedimentation, which can be worsened by pollutants from industrial lumber operations, such as wood shavings and oily residue. The facility currently operates within the Nez Perce Reservation. Additional details can be found in the Consent Agreement and Final Order.
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