The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) fined West Fraser Forest Products $24,750 for exceeding the total amount of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) allowed by the air permit for the company’s Solway facility from January 2024 to January 2025.
The company was fined $15,250 in January of 2026 for submitting carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide performance tests more than 100 days late and exceeding its hazardous air pollution limits from March 2023 to November 2023.
In addition to the fine, the MPCA is requiring the company submit a permit application with a higher limit for total HAPs. The company must also submit a plan to stay at the current permit limit until a new permit is issued.
The MPCA remains committed to protecting human health and the environment by enforcing rules and regulations and limiting pollution and discharges from facilities. When facilities do not fully comply with regulatory requirements, the resulting pollution can be harmful to people and the environment.
When calculating penalties, the MPCA considers how seriously the violations affected or could have affected the environment, and whether they were first-time or repeat violations. The agency also attempts to recover the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner.