Northwest companies have received sizable air pollution fines over the past five years. The amount of the fine is based on multiple factors including the toxicity of chemical that was released and the length of time the violation occurred. Some violations are not specifically related to pollution, but are triggered by failing to turn in reports on time or for problems in monitoring emissions. The list covers large polluters in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Unless otherwise noted, these firms are in Washington.
Total fines* Citations*
Saint-Gobain Containers (Verallia) $962,600 94
Seattle - Glass manufacturer
Shell Puget Sound Refinery $291,000 16
Anacortes - Oil Refinery
Chemco $247,000 4
Ferndale - Wood treatment
Hampton Lumber Mills
Darrington Lumber mill $230,000 103
Berry Plastics
Kent - Plastic bag manufacturer $218,300 7
Lafarge North America
Seattle - Concrete maker $216,000 75
Jeld-Wen $212,500
White Swan --Window and door maker
U.S. Air Force – Mountain Home $143,000 1
Mountain Home, ID - Air Force base
Kaiser Aluminum Washington $137,119 21
Spokane - Aluminum manufacturer
General Chemical $127,000 5
Anacortes - Makes chemicals
Westport Shipyard $111,000 29
Westport - Shipyard
Ponderay Newsprint $110,000 1
Usk - Makes paper for newsprint
BP West Coast Products $93,500 9
Blaine – Oil refinery
ConocoPhillips (Tosco) $88,000 2
Ferndale – Oil refinery
JR Simplot Co. - Don Siding $85,540 5
Pocatello, ID - Fertilizer plant
Professional Coatings $75,000 5
Tacoma - Stain, lacquer, paint
Tesoro Refining and Marketing $68,000 4
Anacortes – Oil refinery
U.S. Oil & Refining $51,750 61
Tacoma – Oil refinery
Clearwater Paper
Lewiston, ID - Tissue, wood, paper $49,980 4
Ash Grove Cement $ 44,925 2
Inkom, ID – Cement maker
* Total fines and citations issued over the past five years; in some cases the fines were later reduced.
Sources: EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO); Bonnie Stewart of Oregon Public Broadcasting’s EarthFix news site
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Gary "Chris" Twombley was put on administrative leave in December 2023
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