Plum Creek Penalt: Plum Creek Pays Pollution Penalty

HELENA – Plum Creek Northwest Lumber Inc. has paid a $32,400 state penalty for a 2007 environmental violation at a Montana sawmill that closed in March, amid declining demand for wood products.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality said Tuesday that testing on Nov. 28, 2007, indicated air pollution from a boiler at Plum Creek's Fortine operation, just south of British Columbia, exceeded levels allowed in the company's state air-quality permit.

DEQ enforcement specialist Larry Alheim says Plum Creek cleaned a pollution-control device upon learning results of the compliance test, and follow-up testing showed emissions were well within limits.

The Plum Creek operation in Fortine was the last major sawmill in Montana's Tobacco Valley.