Attorney General's News Release

November 22, 2000

Court deals chip mills a blow

Jefferson City, Mo. — The Western District of the Missouri Court of Appeals rebuked an effort by Willamette Industries, an Oregon chip mill company operating in southern Missouri, to avoid clean water regulations. The court backed Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon's position that the Missouri Clean Water Commission has the authority to require the chip mill company to observe rules that would require state certification in "best management practices" and to report where it gets its timber.

Nixon defended the Clean Water Commission after Willamette bypassed the state's administrative appeals process and filed suit in Cole County Circuit Court. That suit was dismissed in September by a Cole County Circuit Judge, who said the company must work through the administrative appeals process.

"It is important for all companies operating in Missouri to follow clean water standards, including big multinational corporations coming into an area as environmentally sensitive as the Missouri Ozarks," Nixon said.

Willamette's lawsuit followed an attempt by the Clean Water Commission to enact standards that would protect water resources in the Ozarks from chip mills like Willamette, who purchase timber from those who practice a high capacity timber harvesting technique called clear-cutting. Clear-cutting is a practice of cutting all the trees in an area including the youngest and smallest trees which, if left to grow, would be much more valuable and lead to more sustainable forestry.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818