There is an interesting scenario playing out in Bucksport, Maine this winter. A company named Verso owned a large paper mill in this scenic rural area. Around 500 high paying jobs. Last year, they announced they were going to close this mill and sell it to a scrap dealer.
After much weeping and wailing and lawsuits, this happened. From our point of view, we thought this was healthy--the facility is obsolete and its production is no longer needed. It is time for the community to move on.
However, the scrap dealer that bought the mill has recently said they are entertaining bids from entities that say they want to operate the mill again. This is a mistake.
We have seen this movie before--many times. In fact, we have seen this play out not too far up the same river on which Bucksport sits--the Penobscott.
When these old facilities are obsolete, they are obsolete. There are many conditions that make them obsolete. It is a fool's paradise to think that a smaller player is going to come along and do some magic here. What we have seen happen time and again is these old facilities are started and fail many, many times. This action drains state and local resources, and more importantly, gives the local community false hope that the glory days of old are going to return.
Be honest with your community. Do your homework if one of these facilities sits in your area. Support it rising again only when there is overwhelming evidence that it can.
