KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A paper mill near the North Carolina-Tennessee state line has closed.
The Canton paper mill's last mill whistle blew at noon on Wednesday, May 24, according to Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers.
On June 8, the town of Canton celebrated the final employees.
Pactiv Evergreen, the company that owns the mill, announced in its fourth-quarter 2022 report that it was planning to close the mill as the company takes "significant restructuring actions related to its beverage merchandising operations."
The closure leaves people in Canton without jobs, but at the same time cuts back on pollution downriver in Tennessee that people have fought to eliminate for decades. It brought mixed responses from both sides of the state line.
The Canton paper mill in North Carolina is along the Pigeon River about 40 miles away from the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. People in Tennessee said the river has taken a hit from wastewater pollution from the plant over many decades. For environmentalists and river users, the closure is coming as good news.
The future of the historic mill and the site are not known yet. The mayor of Canton is working to help mill workers find new jobs.