Michigan Reaches Settlements With Paper Mill Over PFAS Contamination

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has reached two settlement agreements with the current and past owners of a paper mill in White Pigeon, Michigan. The two settlements secure funding for response activities to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) released into the environment from historic operations and require action to address sources of past and ongoing releases of PFAS into the White Pigeon River.

The Attorney General filed a lawsuit against St. Joseph County paper companies Ox Paperboard WP, LLC and White Pigeon Mills, LLC (collectively Ox Paperboard) in October 2024 following repeated violations of environmental laws. Under the terms of this settlement (PDF), Ox Paperboard must address ongoing contamination sources at the mill by:

• Properly closing a former wastewater lagoon on the property that allowed contamination to seep into the groundwater;
• Conducting an engineering evaluation of its wastewater treatment system;
• Addressing PFAS in stormwater on the property; and
• Preventing any unauthorized discharges to surface waters or groundwater.

Additionally, Ox Paperboard will pay $95,200.00 in civil penalties to address its past violations and will pay EGLE’s past costs and attorney fees.

This adds to a settlement reached in April 2025 (PDF) with the paper mill’s former owner, Artistic Carton, now known as Grove 1935, which operated the mill from 1976 to 2019. That settlement included a nearly $1.2 million payment, with almost all of that amount dedicated to the cleanup of contamination at the White Pigeon site.

Source: Michigan Attorney General’s Office

Topics Michigan