[CPEO-BIF] "Without paper mill, toxic underground plume could rise and spread in Chillicothe, " Ohio

[Lenny Siegel <Lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Without paper mill, toxic underground plume could rise and spread in Chillicothe

by Katie Millard
NBC4 News (Columbus, OH)
July 23, 2025 

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WCMH) — In 2022, the Ohio EPA described Chillicothe’s Pixelle paper mill closing as “worst-case scenario” in the fight to contain a toxic underground plume. Now, that fear is coming true. The Pixelle paper plant announced its closure in April, and its roughly 800 employees will be laid off when it closes next month. The paper plant has been a physical and economic pillar in Chillicothe since the 19th century, but Ohio 

EPA documents show it also plays an important role in keeping an underground plume of carcinogens from spreading. Without the plant, Chillicothe and Ohio need to find another solution to keep residents safe. See previous coverage of the closure in the video player above.

“We’ve got a serious problem that’s going to have to get addressed one way or another,” said Chillicothe resident Jason Salley, who has independently investigated the effects of the plume and local manufacturing plants for years. “We can’t sweep it under the rug like the community has done, officials, for the last 30 years. Now we’ve got a crisis on our hands.”

…

For the entire story, see
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/chillicothe/worst-case-scenario-without-paper-mill-toxic-underground-plume-could-rise-and-spread-in-chillicothe/

—

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)




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