Brattleboro Paper Facility to Pay $146,000 Over Vermont Waste Violations

Long Falls Paperboard (LFP), a former paper manufacturing facility in Brattleboro, has agreed to pay the State of Vermont $146,000 to resolve allegations that it released plastic waste into the Connecticut River and improperly stored thousands of tons of sludge at its Wellington Road property.

The plant, previously owned by Neenah Paper, manufactured paper products used in notebooks, boxes and calendars before operations ceased in 2023. State officials said environmental remediation work remains ongoing despite the facility’s closure.

Under the settlement agreement, LFP does not admit liability for the allegations outlined in a complaint filed by the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. According to the complaint, the facility discharged plastic particles into the Connecticut River and lacked adequate controls to prevent waste from entering the waterway.

“On September 15, 2022, there was nothing in place at the Facility to prevent or restrict plastic from entering the river,” the complaint stated.

State officials alleged that the discharged material had the potential to harm wildlife due to both pH changes and the presence of plastic particles. Following the incident, LFP reportedly installed screening systems intended to capture plastic waste, though regulators said the systems later experienced clogging problems.

The complaint also cited concerns over a sludge storage area on the property described as a “pond with walls of sludge.” Testing conducted in 2023 reportedly found the material contained mercury, PCBs and cyanides at concentrations exceeding levels permitted for compost use.

As part of the settlement, the sludge must be properly removed and disposed of by August, according to state authorities.