NEWPORT-The Cocke County Regional Planning Commission met Tuesday evening to begin work on drafting a letter on behalf of the board expressing opposition to a new draft permit they perceive as too lenient for a North Carolina paper mill that is polluting the Pigeon River.

Chairman Phil Morgan discussed recent actions to force the mill to stop polluting the Pigeon River, which flows through Cocke County and affects businesses here, including rafting companies.

Two public meetings - one in Newport, and one in Waynesville, N.C. -- were held recently to discuss the paper mill's discharge of wastewater into the Pigeon River.

Morgan recalled the public meeting in Waynesville, which he attended.

"All of the city council members, realtors, and planning commission members, spoke in favor of the permit," Morgan said. "Their main talking point was that jobs (generated by the mill) were more important than a clean river."

Said Morgan, "I feel they (Evergreen Packaging Company) can do more" to control pollution they are releasing into the Pigeon River at their mill.

Cocke County Mayor Iliff McMahan and Peter Morrison, a local resident and retired teacher from Chicago, attended the meeting, as well.

Mayor McMahan said it was "paramount" that the federal government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) get involved to apply pressure to Evergreen Packaging to stop polluting the Pigeon River.

Morgan said that a prior approved permit had required the mill to donate to the Cocke County community, but they have failed to do so.

Morrison said there were no clean rivers in and around Chicago. "I know all about crooked politics. I'm from Chicago," he said, eliciting chuckles from several people present.

Planning Commission member Gay Webb, who has fought for a clean Pigeon River for many years, said when he took photographs of the river near the mill two years ago, during the drought, he met a mother with two children at the river. He recalled that the mother said of the paper mill, "No amount of money is worth what they're doing to the lives of our children."

Lee Willis said, "It bothers me to see the adult people in Cocke County who refuse to get involved" in protesting against the mill and for a cleaner river. He added, "It's going to be an ongoing fight."

McMahan said he will be sending a letter of complaint about the mill in addition to the one drafted by Cocke County's Planning Commission.

The proposed permit will allow the paper mill to dump up to 39,000 pounds of color into the river on a daily basis.

Morrison said the mill is saying they put in only 34,000 to 37,000 pounds of poison into the Pigeon River daily, claiming they're being responsible by not putting in a full 39,000 pounds. "That's ridiculous!" Morrison said.

Morgan said, "For the last couple of years, ... the way they're writing their permits, they're going backward."

Morgan said he and Bettye Carver, administrative assistant to the county mayor, would draft a letter based on comments by planning commission members, the mayor, and Morrison, and send it out early next week.

Webb pointed out that if the mill is forced to stop polluting the Pigeon River, "You'll have kids flocking to the river here downtown to swim in it." He added, "Ninety percent of our water comes from national parks. Once this thing's clean ... think what it'll mean to Douglas Lake" to not have polluted water flow into it.

Willis labeled as "the ultimate form of intimidation" an email to Mayor McMahan from Mike Cohen, executive vice president with a public relations firm in Tennessee hired by Evergreen Packaging.

In the email, which McMahan read to those present, Cohen said he wanted a copy of the letter that U.S. Congressman Phil Roe of the First District sent to the EPA regarding the proposed permit for Evergreen.

"Under the Tennessee Open Records Law, I am requesting a copy of the letter (and) would like a copy of all correspondence, written or electronic, regarding Evergreen, the permit, the recent hearing and any meetings or correspondence you've had related to the permit, the hearing and the company....no matter with whom you corresponded ... in a fairly quick fashion."

McMahan read his email response where he stated, "I consider this (request for documents) to be a formal open records request and ask that you follow the state guidelines by submitting the proper forms requesting the information." He then gave the website address to access those forms.

McMahan also wrote, "... once you have made your formal request for information I will certainly provide you this information within the guidelines and timelines allowed in the Open Records Law of the State of Tennessee."

Roe recently joined with hundreds of local residents in Cocke County to address the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources officials regarding the Pigeon River.

In his follow-up letter to the EPA, as reported by The Greeneville Sun, Roe wrote, "I am sure you would agree that the Pigeon River does not exist for the exclusive use of one facility. The fact is, local downstream economies depend on the quality of the Pigeon River."

Roe wrote that, "One aspect of the river that has been a source of controversy for years is the dark color of the water as it is discharged from the Blue Ridge Paper facility."

The congressman also wrote, "While the goal of the Clean Water Act (of 1972) was to move our nation toward zero discharge of pollution, this proposed permit would actually give the mill license to discharge more color pollutants into the river than it has produced in any of the past three years. How is this progress?"

He also wrote, "While color is a significant concern, other areas that are long overdue for improvement include reducing toxic chemicals in the discharge, and eliminating foam, odor, and unpalatable fish."

Roe also noted that "the NPDES permit for the Blue Ridge facility has been controversial through the years, with a history of EPA intervention.

"I would ask that the EPA carefully review the final permit, to be actively involved in this process moving forward, and intervene as necessary. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have."