JAY – Gov. John Baldacci and International Paper officials pledged Tuesday to continue to work together and with others to continue to improve the water quality of the Androscoggin River.
Traveling by helicopter, Baldacci had landed at his third paper mill by the time he reached IP. He also thanked IP, as he said he’d done at the other mills on the Androscoggin, for offering “quality, good-paying jobs” to support the state’s work force, for contributions made to the Maine economy and for supporting sustainable forestry initiatives.
The forest products sector provides more than 19,000 jobs to Maine residents; more than 5,000 of them are in the Androscoggin Valley, Baldacci said. He noted that the jobs in the paper industry are in the $50,000-to-$60,000 range.
“These jobs have a tremendous impact in our communities and our state,” he said. “These jobs are worth fighting for.”
The governor also thanked workers for their dedication to making paper products that are sought-after nationally and for improving the environment.
“Frankly, none of it happens if workers in the front line are not engaged,” Baldacci said.
Baldacci also commended IP and the other mills for their commitment to clean up the Androscoggin and make it better, but also noted there is more work to be done.
The governor said he has seen improvements in the river quality and that a stakeholders’ group he developed is continually looking to see what more could be done. He said he expects the mills to reach the goal of improving the river to Class C standards within the 10 years, as outlined in legislation he signed this year.
More efficient mills
Baldacci also pledged his support to local efforts to modernize the state’s mills and make them more efficient. Paper mills are producing higher-quality paper and more tons of paper more efficiently than they have in the past, Baldacci said.
Baldacci’s tour of four mills on Tuesday, which coincided with the 10th annual Androscoggin River Source to Sea Canoe Trek, began with the Fraser mill in New Hampshire, then NewPage Corp. in Rumford and was to conclude with Wausau Paper in Jay.
Before the governor spoke, IP Androscoggin Mill Manager Rildo Martini made the opening remarks.
International Paper, which is celebrating 40 years at the Riley Road site this year, has roots that are much deeper, with the founding of IP more than 100 years ago, Martini said.
Many changes have taken place through the years, he said, from making new and different grades of paper to adapting to a global business climate.
“One thing we have special,” Martini said, “and nobody can take it, is our people. Their commitment to our business, to our magazine and catalog customers and to our community is the foundation for our mill’s success, today and for the future.”
Martini pledged to work with others to continually improve environmental performance.
Martini mentioned continuing to work to protect and improve the quality of not only water, but also the air, which he said is a high priority for the mill.
“We know partnering with the state and federal agencies, environmental groups and other interested stakeholders can result in significant environmental performance improvement,” he said.
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