BANGOR (AP) – A Millinocket paper mill that was blamed for a large algae bloom in the Penobscot River last summer has agreed to pay a $106,000 fine.

“We’re hoping we can put this thing behind us, and we regret that it happened,” said Katahdin Paper Co. spokesman Glenn Saucier.

Katahdin agreed to the voluntary settlement for wastewater discharges blamed for a 75-mile blue-green algae bloom that prompted the Penobscot Nation to advise tribal members to stay out the river.

The agreement must be approved by the Maine Board of Environmental Protection and by the state attorney general’s office. Under terms of the proposed settlement agreement, the $106,000 will be shared by the state, the Penobscots and several pollution-prevention projects.

Katahdin Paper stopped using the chemical blamed for the bloom after identifying a suitable alternative.

Some blooms of blue-green algae occur naturally in lakes rivers and ponds. But combined with warm temperatures and phosphorus, the growth known as cyanobacteria can reproduce rapidly and cause large blooms.

In last summer’s case, Katahdin apparently increased the amount of phosphorus in its discharges. At the time, the mill was using phosphoric acid to brighten paper.

Such algae blooms can irritate the skin and eyes, and cause gastrointestinal problems, and reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen for fish and other aquatic life.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is drafting a new permit for Katahdin that will include specific pollution discharge levels, said Andrew Fisk, the agency’s water quality director.