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U.S. AND PA SETTLE CLEAN AIR ACT CASE AGAINST APPLETON PAPERS - Pulp and Paper Mill to Pay $490,000 Penalty, Tighten Air Pollution Controls

Release Date: 8/14/2000
Contact Information: Ruth Wuenschel (215) 814-5540

Ruth Wuenschel, 215-814-5540

ROARING SPRING, Pa. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the United States and Pennsylvania have settled alleged air pollution violations at the Appleton Papers Inc. plant in Roaring Spring, Pa. The Wisconsin-based Appleton has agreed to pay a $490,000 penalty and institute a $10 million program to improve its air pollution control practices.

EPA Regional Administrator Bradley Campbell hailed the federal-state cooperation behind the enforcement action that resolves the plant’s long-standing air pollution violations. “This settlement helps achieve our common goals of reducing smog and acid rain,” said Campbell.

In addition to the $490,000 penalty, $441,000 paid to the federal treasury and $49,000 to Pennsylvania, Appleton has committed to an estimated $10 million in pollution control upgrades, including installation and operation of a gas condensate system, sulfur air pollution scrubber, and gas incinerator. Appleton has also agreed to comply with strict requirements for air pollution monitoring and reporting by pulp mills four years before the regulatory deadline.

This settlement resolves two complaints filed simultaneously, one federal and one at the state level, alleging that Appleton’s kraft pulp and paper mill violated federal and state regulations designed to curb emissions of sulfur and sulfur dioxide. The alleged violations resulted when Appleton expanded the mill’s operations, and increased potential air pollution emissions, without installing the necessary pollution control equipment or obtaining required permits.

According to the complaints, Appleton violated the federal Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act by failing to install and operate up-to-date equipment to monitor sulfur emissions, failing to properly record and report sulfur emissions to EPA, and failing to comply with an August 1998 EPA order requiring testing of emissions. Appleton also allegedly violated a state permit condition limiting the annual consumption of No. 6 fuel oil in the mill’s recovery boiler.

Emissions of sulfur and sulfur dioxide contribute to smog and acid rain. Sulfur dioxide pollution has been linked to serious health effects in human beings, including respiratory function and cardiovascular illnesses. 

As part of the settlement, Appleton neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations. The proposed consent decree is subject to public comment and final court approval.