Boise Cascade, U.S. Reach Clean Air Act Settlement

Compiled ByJill Jusko Boise Cascade Corp. will be required to severely reduce harmful emissions from eight plywood and particleboard plants as a result of settling a Clean Air Act case with the U.S. Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency. Under terms of a consent decree filed in the U.S. District Court of Oregon in Portland, Boise Cascade will install air-pollution control equipment over the next three years at four of its operations. The estimated cost for this is $15 million. Additionally, the company must choose one of three pollution control options to reduce volatile organic compound emissions (VOCs) from its particleboard facility in Island City, Ore. Boise Cascade also will pay $4.35 million in civil penalties and spend $2.9 million in supplemental controls to reduce emissions at three plants. The state of Louisiana also will receive a $250,000 share of the penalties. According to the Justice Department, the settlement comes two years after the EPA issued its first notice of violation to the Boise, Idaho-based company in March 2000. The settlement is expected to reduce emissions of VOCs and particulates by 2,166 tons per year, the agency said. The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period.