Oregon Wood Treatment Firms & President Hit With $1.5 Million in Criminal Fines for Air Pollution & Hazardous Waste Violations

Key Takeaways

• Criminal Penalties: J.H. Baxter and its president must pay $1.5 million in criminal fines for environmental violations.
• Prison Time: Georgia Baxter-Krause was sentenced to 90 days in prison and one year of supervised release.
• Unpermitted Emissions: The company released hazardous pollutants into the air by boiling off waste in unapproved equipment.
• False Statements: Baxter-Krause misled regulators about the extent and frequency of the emissions.
• Ongoing Oversight: The Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF) led the investigation in partnership with state and local agencies.

Deep Dive

Two companies operating a wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, along with their president, have been sentenced for repeated environmental violations, including boiling hazardous waste and venting the pollutants directly into the air. A federal judge ordered J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc., its California-based counterpart J.H. Baxter & Co., and their president Georgia Baxter-Krause to pay a combined $1.5 million in criminal fines.

The sentencing, delivered Tuesday in Oregon, also includes five years of probation for both companies and a 90-day prison sentence for Baxter-Krause, followed by one year of supervised release. The punishment comes after the defendants pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including violations of the Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

According to court filings, J.H. Baxter illegally treated hazardous wastewater by using its wood treatment retorts to "boil off" excess waste—knowingly releasing toxic emissions into the surrounding air without the proper permits. Prosecutors say the illegal activity occurred on at least 136 separate days between January and October 2019, in a residential area across from people’s homes.

Georgia Baxter-Krause, the companies’ president and a resident of Deschutes, Oregon, was found to have knowingly misled inspectors about the scope and frequency of the emissions. She pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of RCRA.

“On more than 100 different days, J.H. Baxter knowingly and illegally boiled off hazardous waste, emitting the discharge into the air,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “J.H. Baxter’s President, Georgia Baxter-Krause, then made false statements about the unlawful practice. Protecting the public’s health is among our highest priorities.”

Acting EPA Enforcement Chief Jeffrey Hall emphasized that the companies’ conduct was egregious and that today’s penalties are a direct reflection of the seriousness of the crimes. “The J.H. Baxter companies knowingly mishandled hazardous waste and repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act by venting hazardous substances directly into the air, right across the street from people’s homes,” he said.

Local prosecutors also weighed in on the human impact. “The defendant companies boiled hazardous waste into our community’s air instead of properly dealing with it, and Georgia Baxter-Krause lied when confronted about it,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the Eugene and Medford Branches of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Court documents reveal that J.H. Baxter had a permitted system in place to legally evaporate wastewater. However, when precipitation and production overwhelmed that system, employees were instructed to dump the excess into wood treatment chambers—retorts—open all vents, and release the waste into the air, sidestepping emissions control standards and permitting requirements under both RCRA and the Clean Air Act.

When inspectors from Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) discovered the practice, Baxter-Krause gave false information in writing about when the practice occurred and which machines were used. Investigators later found the company had detailed daily production logs that directly contradicted her claims.

The court’s sentencing reflects not just the severity of the violations, but the importance of holding both companies and their leadership accountable when they knowingly pollute and deceive regulators. With federal, state, and local agencies working in lockstep, this enforcement action underscores a broader commitment to ensuring clean air, transparency, and corporate responsibility in every community.

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