P.M. BRIEFING : U.S. Accuses Paper Mill on Safety

WASHINGTON —  The government today proposed nearly $1.6 million in fines against the owner of a Maine paper mill where inspectors allegedly found 531 violations of safety and health regulations.

The action by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration comes six months after an inspection of the Boise Cascade plant in Rumford, Me., a review made at the request of the United Paperworkers International Union.

Alan C. McMillan, the acting OSHA chief, said the inspection at Boise Cascade showed “a substantial disregard by this major corporation for the safety and health of its employees in the Rumford mill.”