Though International Paper’s recent advertising in the Sun Journal would make one think that it is the most “green” company there is, we should remember a few facts. IP has not had a valid license to discharge the tons of pollution it has dumped in the Androscoggin for at least the past nine years. By rights, it should be paying daily fines for polluting the river without a proper license. Shame on our state government for letting this situation persist.

IP continues to fight hard to avoid modernizing its operation so that major cuts in pollution could occur. It puts tremendous pressure on the Natural Resources Committee of the Maine Legislature to prevent the Androscoggin from reaching Class C status in the near future. It is not showing a serious commitment to the goal of the Clean Water Act, which is the ongoing reduction and eventual elimination of discharges to rivers.

It is misleading to say that the licenses will be “effective” on Sept. 1, 2005. In fact, the ad fails to explain that the deal cut with DEP and the NRC gives IP 10 years to make the required reductions. Ten years to bring the Androscoggin River up to the lowest standards for water quality, five years beyond the legal time allowed and 40 years beyond the passage of the Clean Water Act..

Meanwhile, IP is telling shareholders that it has “no violations” of environmental laws. What deception.

Greg D’Augustine, Greene

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