LEWISTON, Idaho (From news reports) -- Nearly two dozen employees are being laid off from the Clearwater Paper facility in Lewiston.

According to The Lewiston Tribune, Clearwater Paper confirmed that 23 employees were let go, including eight salaried and 15 hourly positions. This reduction brings the mill's total employment to approximately 680 workers.

The layoffs come as Clearwater Paper received one of Idaho's largest fines related to environmental violations in 2024. An EPA complaint, issued in June, detailed an incident on September 16, 2019, when the facility released between 53 and 171 pounds of chlorine into the air over a 24-hour period. The release was reported nearly a year later on July 31, 2020.

The EPA stated that inhaling chlorine can irritate the lungs, eyes, nose, and throat, potentially causing chronic issues or even death. The agency said that by failing to report the release promptly, Clearwater Paper put the surrounding community at risk. Consequently, the company was fined $322,000, the largest penalty issued in the state last year.