Potlatch leads list of Idaho polluters

LEWISTON – Potlatch Corp. was among the top regional air polluters in 2002, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

However, Idaho and Northwest companies ranked far behind the national pollution leaders when it came to the release of air pollution, according to the latest statistics available from the federal agency.

Potlatch Corp. pulp and paper mill at Lewiston was listed among the state and regional leaders in the release of dioxins, a toxic chemical believed to cause health problems even in minuscule amounts. Potlatch also led all Idaho companies in the amount of air pollutants released.

Potlatch spokesman Mike Sullivan said the Spokane-based company continues to invest in pollution reducing technology and has “reduced emissions across the board.”

Boise-based US Ecology was listed as the largest solid waste polluter in Idaho. The company operates a toxic waste facility near Grandview and brought 29 million pounds of waste into the state.

The now-closed J.R. Simplot Food processing plant in Heyburn was the largest water polluter. Potlatch Corp. ranked fifth among water polluters. The company dumps up to 40 million gallons of treated wastewater into the Snake River daily.

The information was gathered as part of the government’s toxic release inventory program, designed to let people know about pollution in their communities.