Attorney General's Office Settles Environmental Enforcement Case with Long Falls Paperboard

Paper Plant to pay civil penalties of $145,000 and implement corrective actions

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced a settlement with Long Falls Paperboard to resolve a lawsuit alleging water quality, solid waste, and hazardous waste violations at the Long Falls Paperboard plant in Brattleboro. In addition to paying a civil penalty of $145,000, the plant will take corrective actions at the site.

"Compliance with Vermont's environmental laws is important to protect clean water and other natural resources," said Attorney General Clark. "This is a good outcome that will result in site cleanup."

The Long Falls Paperboard plant, which was idled in 2023, holds a discharge permit from the Agency of Natural Resources to ensure that water from the plant's wastewater treatment facility is properly treated before entering the Connecticut River. In its lawsuit brought on behalf of the Agency in 2024, the State alleged multiple environmental violations including unauthorized discharges of plastic into the Connecticut River, failure to properly label and store hazardous materials, and unauthorized storage of sludge on the property. Under the settlement, the plant needs to conduct soil sampling and properly dispose of the sludge from the plant's wastewater treatment facility.

The settlement was filed with the Windham Superior Court. The court approved and issued the settlement order yesterday. A copy of the order is available by request .

CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Senior Advisor to the Attorney General, 802-828-3171