Case Summary: Settlement Reached at Plymouth Wood Treating Plant Site, NC

On April 4, 2011, EPA and Domtar Paper Company LLC (Domtar) entered into a consent decree to address cleanup at the Plymouth Wood Treating Plant Site near Plymouth, N.C, at an expected cost of $1.959 million. In addition to designing and implementing a cleanup remedy, the company is also required to reimburse EPA for its past cleanup costs, which total at least $3.2 million.

Information about the Company

Domtar Paper Company was established in 1903 under the name Dominion Tar & Chemical Company Ltd. In 2007, Domtar combined its operations with the fine paper business of Weyerhaeuser to create Domtar Corporation and was at that point valued at more than $6 billion. Domtar is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet in North America, and the second largest in the world. Domtar is also one of North America's largest manufacturers of papergrade pulp.

Plymouth Wood Treating Plant Site

The 2,400-acre site is an active wood and paper products manufacturing facility located near the confluence of Welch Creek and the Roanoke River in Plymouth, N.C. The site began operations under the Kieckhefer-Eddy Company in 1937, was managed by the Weyerhaeuser Company from 1957 until 2007, and is currently owned and operated by Domtar Corporation. Even though this site has not been listed on the National Priorities List, it is considered a priority site. More information about the Plymouth Wood Treating Plant Site.

Pollutants and Environmental Effects

Site operations have resulted in the contamination of soil, sediments, and ground water with dioxins, dibenzofurans, metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In addition to the presence of these dangerous chemicals in soil, the compounds have also been found in tissue of fish and other aquatic species that inhabit surface waters near the site.

Summary of the Agreement

Under the Consent Decree, Domtar will identify the best remedy to clean up the contamination of the lower Roanoke River and carry it out as well. This is estimated to cost $1.959 million. The remedy selected must include analyzing sediment for mercury contamination, checking surface water for dioxin, as well as annual inspections of fish advisory signs and annual reviews of habitat reports. Domtar will also have to reimburse EPA for its costs in two ways. It will have to pay EPA $3.2 million for the money the Agency spent cleaning up the site before March 27, 2009. And subsequently, the company will be required to all costs incurred by the Agency after March 27, 2009.

Contact

For more information, contact:

Kevin Beswick
Associate Regional Counsel
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 4
Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth Street, S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303-3104
(404) 562-9580

Derek Threet
Attorney-Advisor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
(202) 564-1409