Plans to remove 21 buildings at the Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Camas represent a significant step in the reinvention of the city.
The project will require collaboration between the mill’s owners and officials from the city and state, along with adequate attention to environmental concerns. But if due diligence is employed, it will result in a remarkable transformation of Camas and all of Clark County.
As reported this week by The Columbian, Georgia-Pacific — a subsidiary of Koch Industries — plans to remove 21 unused structures within a 12-acre portion of the 159-acre mill site. The work, expected to begin in May and extend to late 2026, would leave intact building slabs, foundations and asphalt.
“The next phase is going to be the most visible from the public’s perspective,” said Alan Peters, community development director for Camas. “It’s an iconic picture that is going to be demolished.”
It also is a symbolic one. Camas long has been identified with the paper mill, which sits along the Columbia River near the city’s downtown. Founded in 1883, the mill was largely responsible for the creation of the city and even inspired the nickname for the high school’s athletic teams — Papermakers. By 1971, the paper mill employed more than 2,500 people and the city had fewer than 6,000 residents.
But in the 1980s, Camas began reinventing itself, attracting high-tech industries and extending its boundaries through annexation. Now it has approximately 27,000 residents, a diverse economy and scores of upscale homes. As former Mayor Nan Henricksen told The Columbian in 2019: “Whether it was a slow death or a very rapid one, the mill was not going to be a Golden Goose. When I became mayor, the mill provided about 70 percent of our property tax base; now it’s less than 10 percent.”
Now, the mill runs one paper line and employs approximately 120 workers. It remains a significant part of the city’s landscape and economy, but it no longer dominates the region. In documents filed with the city, Georgia-Pacific officials wrote that the planned demolition will “reduce safety risks and costs generated by maintaining the nonoperational buildings and equipment and maintain the aesthetics of the facility.”
But questions remain, primarily regarding the environment. Paper production requires the extensive use of chemicals and heavy metals, and 150 years of work at the site inevitably results in contamination.
Koch Industries has a history of opposing government regulation, and in 2000 it was fined $35 million by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a series of oil spills — then the largest corporate fine in U.S. history. Now, the company boasts of its environmental stewardship, writing on its website, “We believe responsible management of our environmental resources is vital to providing products and services that help people improve their lives, while using fewer resources and respecting the environment.”
We hope that ethos applies to work in Camas. In documents for the planned demolition, company officials write, “Accumulations of industrial chemicals were removed when operations were shut down, and any residuals present will be removed and disposed of prior to the start of work.” They add that none of the work will occur within 200 feet of the Camas Slough or the Columbia River.
Eventually, a significant portion of the long-standing mill will give way to riverfront development. With adequate attention to the environment, changes at the site could mark another step toward that future.
