The U.S. Department of Justice has proposed that Domtar pay $1.5 million to settle claims that emissions at its paper mill in Ashdown, Arkansas exceed federal and state environmental limits.
Settlement Details
The proposed settlement, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, requires Domtar to make changes at the Ashdown mill, including installing proper pollution controls on its brown stock washer, updating leak detection, and conducting performance testing on its boilers.
The estimated cost to complete the required changes and bring operations into compliance is at least $2.6 million, according to the DOJ.
As part of the settlement, an independent third party will review and revise Domtar’s leak detection and repair plan to ensure compliance.
Alleged Violations
The alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act and Arkansas Water and Air Pollution Control Act follow a 2019 site inspection by the EPA and the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality.
Inspectors reported seeing visible emissions and recorded high levels of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that can be harmful to human health.
Domtar is also accused of not performing mandatory inspections and monitoring, contributing to overlooking a leaking valve that emitted pollutants.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
