Fish Kill Costs Louisiana Paper Mill Owner $3.3M in Fines

Temple Inland, which caused a major fish kill on the Pearl River in 2011 when it released pollutants from its Bogalusa paper mill (in Louisiana), was ordered to pay $3.3 million in criminal penalties, according to U.S. Attorney Dana Boente.

U.S. District Judge Ivan R. Lemelle also sentenced the Austin, Texas-based company, a subsidiary of International Paper, to two years probation.

Temple Inland’s fines will be used in part to help the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality pay for equipment and emergency vehicles used to monitor, test and respond to dumping, sills and leaks that violate environmental laws.