The staff of Flambeau River Papers, which is on schedule to be completely fossil fuel-free by 2012. / Credit:Flambeau River Papers

By Violet Snow*

PARK FALLS, Wisconsin, Nov 29 (IPS/IFEJ) – A paper mill that runs without fossil fuels and has a neutral carbon footprint? That’s the goal for Flambeau River Papers in Park Falls, Wisconsin, and the company is already on its way, thanks to a switch to biomass fuel, plus a biorefinery in the works.

In timber-rich Wisconsin, paper mills have been a major industry since the 1800s. Small mills, suffering from the recession and high energy costs, are now shutting down, creating economic devastation for towns like Park Falls, where the mill provided jobs for 310 people in a town of about 3,000.
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