Willamette Industries, Inc., a major U.S. plywood manufacturer, agreed yesterday to a $93.2 million settlement with the feds, the largest figure ever in a case involving air pollution from factories. The adhesives used to glue together sheets of plywood give off volatile organic compounds that contribute to smog, and EPA Administrator Carol Browner said the pollution reductions from Willamette’s plants in the next five years will be the equivalent of taking 287,000 cars off the road. The EPA has now settled pollution cases with companies that make up more than half the woods products industry; Boise-Cascade is the only major manufacturer that has yet to settle.
