Appleton Papers, NCR and GP continue with costly cleanup of Wisconsin's Fox River despite court ruling striking lawsuit aimed at forcing other entities to help pay for the project

Dec 30, 2009 — ForestWeb

LOS ANGELES, December 30, 2009 (ForestWeb) — Three paper companies in Fox Valley, Wisconsin, are continuing with a cleanup of the Fox River that could last a decade and cost up to US$1.5 billion, despite a court ruling striking their efforts to compel about 20 other firms and local governments to help pay for the cleanup, The Pierce County Herald of Wisconsin reported Dec. 28.

On Dec. 16, a federal judge threw out a lawsuit by Appleton Papers Inc. and NCR Corp. that sought contributions for the cleanup, which involves removing hazardous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) that paper companies dumped in Fox River in the 1960s and 1970s. Georgia-Pacific is also assisting in the cleanup.

NCR has said it will appeal the ruling. The lawsuit wanted other paper mill operators, wastewater treatment plant operators, the cities of Green Bay and Appleton, Brown County, and other public entities to help pay for the cleanup.

In the cleanup project, some pollutants will be capped under the riverbed and others are being dredged out.

The primary source of this article is the Pierce County Herald, Ellsworth, Wisconsin, on Dec. 28, 2009.

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