"In efforts to save the mill, I worked with the investors and made contact with a number of state and federal agencies on their behalf. Unfortunately, the mill did not qualify for funds or grants through existing government programs. Apparently, the owners of the mill encountered similar problems when they approached the private sector for investment dollars---there were no takers.
The history of this pulp mill is well known. The mill has seen many owners over recent years. The boom/bust of the pulp market, a low-cost reliable chip supply and demanding environmental regulations have always been a challenge. And while the Freshwater Tissue proposal was an effort to overcome these challenges, the plan was costly and speculative. The most recent plan for the mill required $400 million to add a tissue manufacturing plant that would use 'green' pulp to make a product consumers wanted to purchase. In the end, the plan wasn't strong enough to make the case that it warranted the investment."