Domtar settles Clean Air Act violations for $1.5 million over chemical leak at Arkansas pulp mill

Domtar A.W. LLC has reached a proposed $1.5 million settlement with the U.S. Justice Department, EPA, and Arkansas environmental regulators over Clean Air Act violations at its Ashdown, Arkansas pulp mill. The violations stem from a 2019 inspection that found the company failed to install required pollution controls on a brownstock washer, leading to potential hydrogen sulfide leaks. Domtar also skipped mandatory leak inspections for 53 days and did not perform required boiler performance tests, allowing uncontrolled emissions of volatile organic compounds, methanol, carbon monoxide, chlorine dioxide, and hydrochloric acid. Under the settlement, Domtar must install proper pollution controls on the brownstock washer, update leak detection and repair procedures, increase monitoring frequency, and conduct boiler performance tests. The company estimates these corrective actions will cost at least $2.6 million. Domtar says it has already installed the required controls and is cooperating with regulators. The settlement is subject to court approval in the Western District of Arkansas.