Four WI Paper Companies, Cities Reach $54M Settlement for PCB Contamination

Four paper companies, the city of Appleton and the Neenah-Menasha Sewerage Commission agreed Wednesday to pay $54.1 million to settle federal, state and tribal claims for the decades-old discharge of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the lower Fox River (in Wisconsin).

In return, the companies and municipalities will receive protection against the claims of nonsettling parties NCR Corp. and Appleton Papers.

According to federal court documents, U.S. Paper Mills Corp. will pay $14.7 million for the cleanup of PCBs and natural resource damages. Menasha Corp. will pay $13.7 million, WTM 1 Co. will pay $12.2 million, and CBC Coating Inc. will pay $3