Nippon and Port Townsend Paper Corp. both Fined for Permit Violations

Both mills have been fined, $4,000 each, by the state Department of Ecology. The fines were for permit violations during the fall of 2010.

It was the first fine in eight years for the Nippon Paper Industries USA Co. mill in Port Angeles.

People Moving to a New Community and Then Complaining About It

This particular controversy is happening in Port Townsend, but it could happen in Port Angeles just as easily.

For that matter it’s been happening in Sequim — people moving to a rural area and then complaining about the elk. People who move to this area from California — or Seattle for that matter — have a reputation for complaining because there aren't enough ethnic restaurants, there isn't enough nightlife, the stores aren't chic enough, etc. So why did they move here?

Port Townsend residents have a valid reason to be concerned about the health hazards created by the Port Townsend Paper Corp. mill. But most of the complaints seem to be coming from newer Port Townsend residents and/or retirees who won't be affected if the mill closes.

Long-term residents are probably concerned about health hazards too, but they also realize that the paper mill has been the economic backbone of Port Townsend. It has given countless Port Townsend workers the ability — as a certain U.S. president would say — to “put food on their families.”

As one Port Townsend resident said: “If the mill goes down, you will be able to walk down Water Street and see a lot of stores closed.”