Rayonier

Rayonier’s legacy of environmental damage is anchored in decades of industrial pollution from its pulp mill operations. The company’s former mill in Port Angeles, Washington, left extensive contamination of soils, groundwater, and marine sediments with hazardous wastes, requiring a protracted, multi-decade cleanup overseen by the Washington State Department of Ecology. Between 1993 and 2008, over 30,000 tons of the most contaminated soil were removed from the site. The company also has a documented history of water pollution violations. Under the federal Fisheries Act, Rayonier was charged for depositing deleterious substances into water from its pulp mill. ITT Rayonier’s facility in Hoquiam faced enforcement for chemical spills, with the company’s own monthly environmental reports noting spills occurred with relatively high frequency.

The environmental harm extended to its operations in Port Alice, British Columbia, where the company attempted to manage waste by dumping it into the open ocean. A 2012 enforcement action by the EPA resulted in a $317,000 penalty for hazardous waste violations. While Rayonier has engaged in cleanup efforts at its former mill sites, the scale and persistence of the contamination reflect a long-term pattern of operational negligence causing significant ecological damage.