Woodland Pulp is contesting $794,456 in proposed federal workplace safety penalties following investigations into two chemical incidents at its Baileyville, Maine, mill, including a January hydrogen sulfide release that killed two employees.
OSHA officials confirmed the challenge to Spectrum News. The dispute is subject to review by the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, and the proposed penalties have not been upheld in a final ruling.
Two Separate Chemical Incidents
The January 27 incident occurred during a cold-weather shutdown, when high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide were released into the mill. A 20-year-old chemical engineering student working at the facility and a 26-year-old chemical engineer died following exposure. Ten other employees were also exposed, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
OSHA separately investigated a March 7 chemical fire. The agency said approximately 4,400 gallons of 50% hydrogen peroxide were released and mixed with pulp that had accumulated on the ground.
The combined proposed penalties cover both incidents, rather than the fatal gas release alone.
In its July 30 announcement, OSHA reported four willful and eight serious violations. The agency alleged deficiencies involving alarms, respiratory protection, chemical hazard training, medical evaluations and respirator fit testing, pipe labelling and the accumulation of pulp in storage areas.
Woodland Pulp is challenging those findings. The specific grounds for its contest have not been detailed in the available reporting.
CSB Investigation Continues
The CSB is conducting its own investigation into the January release. In a July 14 update, the board identified gaps in gas detection and personnel tracking, including the absence of fixed hydrogen sulfide detectors in the building where the release occurred and personal monitors for the two employees who died.
The board also said the company did not adequately track who was in the building during the incident. The two employees were not located until hours after the release ended.
The CSB’s investigation remains ongoing. Its technical findings are separate from the OSHA enforcement proceedings and the company’s challenge to the citations and proposed penalties.
Woodland Pulp operates a pulp mill in Baileyville, Maine, near the Canadian border. The company supplies pulp to papermakers worldwide, including its affiliated tissue manufacturer, St. Croix Tissue.
