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Luke Mill Hit With Stiff Fine from MDE

February 26th, 2016 by WCBC Radio

Verso Corporation's Luke Paper Mill will be penalized for a large river spill that for days flowed through numerous counties. 

Maryland's Department of the Environment will fine the mill for allowing almost 10,000 gallons of chemicals described as synthetic latex to enter the North Branch of the Potomac River in September. 

A letter from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General was sent to the mill's manager Allen Sanders on Wednesday informing him of a $10,000 penalty.

In late September, an MDE crew from Frostburg responded to the river to investigate an alert that it was flowing white/yellow in the Dawson area between McCoole and Rawlings. 

The pollution was followed upstream and found to be emanating from the Upper Potomac River Waste Water Treatment Plant at Westernport.

Additional investigation showed the substance leaked from a tank within the paper mill and flowed through a collection system to the treatment plant before reaching the river.

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