Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Site Decommissioning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Georgia Pacific: demolition roughly 30% complete; company seeks permit to discharge treated stormwater near plant as pipeline is offline
Summary
Georgia Pacific told Taylor County commissioners they are about one‑third finished demolishing the former mill and are pursuing a state permit to discharge treated storm and groundwater near the plant after a lawsuit rendered the previously used 15‑mile pipeline unavailable; residents pressed the company on past river impacts, groundwater monitoring and potential future uses of the site.
Georgia Pacific representatives delivered a technical update and responded to sustained public concern about environmental effects, a proposed wastewater permit and the status of a pipeline that historically carried treated water away from the site.
Kelly Ferguson, a Georgia Pacific representative, introduced company engineers and remediation staff and said demolition at the former mill site is about 30% complete. Greg Council (Tetrate Tech), the contractor managing environmental closure planning, described the demolition staging and said the contract anticipates "many more months" of work with demolition complete around the end of calendar year 2026.
A key point was wastewater management: GP explained that previously treated water was sent through a pipeline to the mouth of the Fin Holloway River about 15 miles away, but that the easement/pipeline is currently unavailable because of litigation brought by a landowner. GP said it has submitted a permit application to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to discharge treated storm water and pumped groundwater near the site (the old outfall location). GP characterized the discharge as treated storm and groundwater (not process wastewater) and said existing onsite treatment removes contaminants to meet standards required for a freshwater river discharge (class‑3 standards).
Commissioners and residents pressed company representatives on several fronts: whether groundwater monitoring shows contamination off‑site, the management and closure plan for lagoon/sludge cells, sinkhole risk in lagoon liners, the duration of required long‑term monitoring, and whether GP had engaged alternative buyers for the site. GP representatives said they are voluntarily conducting additional groundwater monitoring, that current samples have not shown exceedances of state groundwater cleanup target levels, and that closure plans (including a monitoring and maintenance phase) will be developed in coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Residents raised strong objections to the proposed upstream discharge, recalled historical river impacts from the mill's operations, and questioned the pipeline dispute. "This community is not going to be in favor of y'all putting anything back in that Fin Holloway River," one resident said, summarizing local sentiment. GP said it prefers to keep the pipeline in the ground if possible but cannot comment on litigation; the company otherwise stressed regulatory oversight and the goal of closing the site in a manner protective of people and the environment.
Next steps: GP and county staff will continue technical exchanges and GP will respond to FDOT/DEP requests for information; the board scheduled additional public input, including a Dec. 11 public meeting where residents can present specific technical and regulatory questions.
