North Carolina proposes restoring Roanoke River after 50 years of mill pollution

For more than half a century, pollution from a pulp and paper mill has left its mark on North Carolina’s lower Roanoke River, affecting fish, wetlands and other natural resources. Now, a proposed restoration plan aims to address some of that long-term damage by protecting floodplain habitat, reconnecting historic waterways and improving conditions for fish and wildlife. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), federal and state natural resource trustees have proposed restoration projects to compensate for injuries linked to hazardous-substance releases from the former Plymouth Mill. The proposal includes wetland conservation and habitat restoration across the lower Roanoke River system.Decades of pollution affected the lower Roanoke RiverThe Plymouth Mill began operating in 1937 as a wood and paper products manufacturing facility. Over subsequent decades, industrial operations at the site resulted in hazardous substances being released into groundwater, soil, Welch Creek and the Roanoke River.