May 19, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. Georgia-Pacific Corp. has agreed to pay $250,000 for habitat restoration work, pollution monitoring and other costs to settle a lawsuit filed by environmental groups over pulp mill wastewater piped into the Columbia River. The original lawsuit was filed against the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality by Columbia Riverkeeper and the Northwest Environmental Defense Center in 2003. The groups argued that DEQ issued a wastewater permit that violated the federal Clean Water Act. The environmental groups said the permit for Georgia-Pacific's Wauna pulp and paper mill near Clatskanie was provided without determining whether the waste discharges would meet water quality standards -- and without assessing the effects of toxic metals concentrated in the water. The DEQs permit, issued in September 2003, also came with an agreement allowing Georgia-Pacific four years to bring certain waste discharges into full compliance. The case highlights recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency criticism that Oregon fails to adequately protect rivers because industrial sites and city sewage plants need stronger regulation. The EPA report released in January specifically faulted Oregon for issuing permits without fully assessing how wastewater from a given plant increases total pollution levels in the receiving river, and also for relying too heavily on agreements with permit violators that allow them years to comply with water quality standards. Columbia Riverkeeper attorney Brent Foster said the settlement supports the claim that DEQ issued a legally flawed permit. "It's my hope that DEQ starts to consider the effects of the toxics they allow to be dumped into toxic mixing zones," Foster said. But Holly Schroeder, DEQ water quality administrator, said the agency admits no error or failure to enforce water quality standards. She said the agency approved the settlement to avoid legal costs to taxpayers. Schroeder defended the state's use of mutual agreements as a pragmatic means for reducing pollution when companies must solve technically difficult problems. A Georgia-Pacific spokeswoman said the settlement avoided a time-consuming and money-wasting court battle. "It's a better use of funds, improving habitat and water quality as opposed to spending a lot of time in court," said Carolyn McGreevy, the spokeswoman.