1. consent agreement detail

KOOSKIA, Idaho — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined Clearwater Forest Industries LLC of Kooskia, Idaho, $23,950 for violating Section 402 of the Clean Water Act. The section deals with pollutant discharge.

The facility, on the South Fork Clearwater River, had 23 violations of its permit for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity, according to an EPA news release.

Violations included failure to maintain stormwater control measures and a complete stormwater pollution-prevention map, to submit its monthly discharge monitoring reports, to submit its 2019 annual report on time, and to complete inspection report forms, according to the release.

Clearwater Forest Industries admits jurisdictional allegations but neither admits nor denies the specific factual allegations, according to the consent agreement. The company could not be reached immediately.

“These are not simple paperwork issues; they are violations of foundational requirements intended to safeguard the integrity of our nation’s waterways,” Ed Kowalski, director of EPA’s Region 10 office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in the release.

The South Fork flows into the main Clearwater River, a tributary to the Snake River. The stretch on which the facility operates is considered impaired due in part to sedimentation — which can be made worse by pollutants from industrial lumber operations, such as wood shavings and oily residue, according to the agency.