US Department of Labor Proposes $794K in Penalties for Maine Pulp Mill Following Fatal Gas Exposure and Fire

The following is an abridgement of an article originally published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Incident Summaries

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported that on Jan. 27, 2026, workers at a Baileyville, Maine, wood pulp mill were performing a cold weather shutdown. This operation resulted in exposure to high concentrations of uncontrolled hydrogen sulfide gas, leading to the deaths of two employees.

OSHA also investigated a chemical fire at the facility on March 7, 2026. According to the agency, the fire ignited after the employer released 4,400 gallons of 50 percent hydrogen peroxide, which mixed with wood pulp that had accumulated on the ground.

Citations and Penalties

Following the investigations, the employer received four willful citations for exposing workers to deadly hydrogen sulfide gas levels without proper alarms or breathing devices, and for allowing overflow wood pulp to build up in storage areas. Additionally, OSHA issued eight serious citations for failing to train workers on hydrogen peroxide risks, conduct medical evaluations and fit tests for respirator users, label chlorine and acid lines, and control hydrogen sulfide exposure risks.

OSHA has proposed $794,456 in penalties. The agency noted that the employer has been inspected 13 times since 2017, resulting in 13 serious and one other-than-serious citation. This history includes a 2017 inspection initiated after 14 employees were hospitalized following a chemical exposure in the same area covered by the current investigations.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.