Astoria, Ore. – The companies behind the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in West Eugene have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to hazardous waste and air pollution violations. The guilty plea marks the conclusion of a lengthy investigation into the company’s improper handling of hazardous chemicals and its impact on the environment and local residents.
J.H. Baxter, a company that operated a wood treatment facility in West Eugene, used toxic chemicals in its processes and generated hazardous wastewater. While the facility had a legal treatment unit designed to handle the wastewater, investigations revealed that employees often circumvented proper disposal methods. When the plant accumulated too much wastewater, workers transferred it to wood treatment retorts—industrial vessels used in the wood treatment process—and boiled off the hazardous substances, releasing pollutants into the surrounding air.
The company lacked a permit to treat hazardous waste in this manner, and regulators were unaware of the practice until an investigation uncovered detailed records of the operation. During questioning, the company’s president, Georgia Baxter-Krause, 61, provided false information about the dates on which wastewater was boiled off, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
The operations, which were carried out without the necessary permits, resulted in the release of hazardous pollutants into the air. The company’s actions violated the Clean Air Act’s pollution control regulations, leading to the federal charges.
The J.H. Baxter plant ceased its operations in January 2023 after officials from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) discovered that hazardous materials had leached into the soil of nearby residential areas. This revelation raised concerns about public health and prompted further investigations. Subsequent analysis indicated significant health risks to residents living near the facility. As a result, a large-scale clean-up operation was launched, and environmental authorities have moved to designate the site as a Superfund site, ensuring access to additional resources and funding for the remediation efforts.
In the wake of the guilty plea, J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and its partner company, J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership, agreed to pay a $1.5 million criminal fine. Additionally, Georgia Baxter-Krause pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements related to hazardous waste management. As part of the plea deal, she faces the possibility of up to two years in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Sentencing for both the company and Baxter-Krause is scheduled for April 22, 2025.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges in regulating hazardous waste and air pollution in industrial facilities, underscoring the importance of strict compliance with environmental laws. As the clean-up continues, local residents and environmental advocates are hopeful that the Superfund designation will expedite efforts to mitigate the lasting environmental damage caused by the facility’s operations.
