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ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE LIABILITIES
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]  
ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE LIABILITIES ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE LIABILITIES
Various federal and state environmental laws in the states in which we operate place cleanup or restoration liability on the current and former owners of affected real estate. These laws are often a source of “strict liability,” meaning that an owner or operator need not necessarily have caused, or even been aware of, the release of contaminated materials. Similarly, there are certain environmental laws that allow state, federal, and tribal trustees (collectively, the “Trustees”) to bring suit against property owners to recover damage for injuries to natural resources. Like the liability that attaches to current property owners in the cleanup context, liability for natural resource damages (“NRD”) can attach to a property simply because an injury to natural resources resulted from releases of contaminated materials on or from the owner’s property, regardless of culpability for the release.

Changes in environmental and NRD liabilities from December 31, 2021 to June 30, 2022 are shown below:
Port Gamble, WA
Non-current portion at December 31, 2021
$10,110
Plus: Current portion695
Total Balance at December 31, 2021
10,805
Expenditures charged to liabilities(245)
Increase to liabilities698
Total Balance at June 30, 2022
11,258
Less: Current portion(766)
Non-current portion at June 30, 2022
$10,492

It is expected that the upland mill site cleanup and NRD restoration will occur over the next one to two years, while the monitoring of Port Gamble Bay, mill site and landfills will continue for an additional 10 to 15 years. NRD costs are subject to change as the scope of the restoration projects become more clearly defined. It is reasonably possible that these components of the liability may increase as the project progresses. Management continues to monitor the Port Gamble cleanup process and will make adjustments as needed. Should any future circumstances result in a change to the estimated cost of the project, we will record an appropriate adjustment to the liability in the period it becomes known and when we can reasonably estimate the amount. For further information on the timing and amount of future payments related to our environmental remediation liabilities, see Note 9 - Commitments.