EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — The Kimberly-Clark mill is closed, but not forgotten in Snohomish County.
The Daily Herald (http://is.gd/fXq1BH ) reports unsafe levels of dioxins have been found in the waterway next to the plant. Tests have found the toxic substances linked to cancer in humans at 15 times the level the state considers staff.
Petroleum contamination has also been found at the 66-acre plant site. Oil companies used parts of site for petroleum storage and distribution during much of the 20th century.
State law says that at some point the site has to be cleaned up.
Kimberly-Clark closed the plant last month, saying it’s difficult to make a profit in the pulp and paper business. The property is up for sale. Most of the pollution was in the bay before Kimberly-Clark bought the plant in 1995. But under state law, the present owner of a property is liable for the cost of cleanup.
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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com
