Public Invited to Review and Comment on Phase 2 Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Weyerhaeuser Co. Plymouth Mill Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration

Plymouth, NC - The U.S. Department of the Interior, represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), collectively known as the "Trustees," announce the release of the Draft Phase 2 Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft Phase 2 RP/EA) to address injuries associated with releases of hazardous substances at and from the Weyerhaeuser Plymouth Wood Treating Plant Site (Site) in Plymouth, Martin County, North Carolina.
Summary:
Since 1937, the Site, an active wood and paper products manufacturing facility now owned by Domtar Paper Company (Domtar), has discharged wastes containing dioxins, furans, and mercury into Welch Creek and the Roanoke River. As a result of these and other regional discharges, the State of North Carolina imposed fish consumption advisories (FCAs) for Welch Creek and the lower Roanoke River beginning in 1990, later expanded to the western Albemarle Sound in 1991, with additional advisories for mercury issued in 1997 and 2006. These advisories curtailed recreational angling opportunities for the public in the affected waters.
The Trustees conducted a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and determined that releases from the Site caused injury to natural resources and lost recreational services. The United States (DOI/USFWS and NOAA), the State of North Carolina (NCDEQ), and Domtar have negotiated a Consent Decree to resolve Domtar's alleged natural resource damage liability. Under the settlement, Domtar will pay $1,750,000 plus interest into NOAA's Damage Assessment and Restoration Revolving Fund to support Trustee-implemented restoration, primarily the future Floodplain Reconnection, Wetland Protection, and Fish Passage Improvements project, as well as associated restoration planning, implementation, and monitoring costs. Domtar will also pay $155,000 plus interest into DOI's NRDAR Fund to cover Trustee oversight costs, in addition to reimbursing past assessment costs. In addition, Domtar will record a Conservation Agreement (deed restriction) on the Warren Neck property to preserve approximately 760 acres of bottomland forest. The Consent Decree also recognizes restoration actions already completed by Domtar, including cooling water intake reductions, lighting modifications, seasonal mill outages timed to protect spawning fish, and Plymouth Waterfront Park improvements.

The Draft Phase 2 RP/EA builds on the 2006 Final Phase 1 Restoration Plan and evaluates seven restoration alternatives under CERCLA and, where applicable, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Trustees' preferred alternatives include:

  •  Additional Modifications to the Domtar Plymouth Mill Cooling Water Intake System and Seasonal Outages (completed 2019) 
  •  Lighting Modifications at the Plymouth Facility (completed 2011) 
  • Waterfront Park Improvements (completed and reimbursed in part in 2013)
  •  Warren Neck Conservation, protecting approximately 760 acres of bottomland forest and fish nursery habitat along the Roanoke River 
  •  Floodplain Reconnection, Wetland Protection, and Fish Passage Improvements, restoring approximately 600 acres of Roanoke River floodplain habitat
Collectively, the preferred alternatives are intended to enhance habitat conditions for Roanoke River fish, conserve bottomland hardwood wetland forests important to water quality and fish nursery habitat, and restore recreational angling opportunities for the public.

Public Review: 
The Draft Phase 2 RP/EA is available for a 30-day public comment period beginning September 16, 2026, through October 16, 2026. The document can be reviewed at: 

The Draft Phase 2 RP/EA is being made available concurrently with the public comment period for the proposed Consent Decree, available for review at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Comments must be submitted by October 16, 2026 to be considered by the Trustees. Comments may be submitted in writing or by email to: 
By U.S. Mail: Howard Schnabolk National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2234 South Hobson Avenue Charleston, SC 29405 Phone: 854-429-2252 
By email to: Howard.Schnabolk@noaa.gov
09/17/2026
Last edited 09/17/2026
  • Press Release
    U.S. Coast Guard patrol of Kirby Barge 27706 during spill cleanup efforts
    07/07/2026

    Public Invited to Review and Comment on Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and…

    Houston, TX - The U.S. Department of the Interior, represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Texas General Land Office (TGLO), and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), collectively known as the “Trustees,” announce the release of the Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (TCY Draft DARP/EA) to address injuries associated with the March 2014 Texas City Y Oil Spill near Texas City, Texas.

    Read more
  • Press Release
    Flat Creek Natural Resource
    06/02/2026

    Public Invited to Review and Comment on Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment and…

    Dawsonville, GA- The U.S. Department of the Interior, represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Georgia Department of Natural Resources, collectively known as the “Trustees,” in coordination with the Department of Justice, announce the release of the Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Flat Creek Natural Resource Damage Assessment. This document is now available for public review and comment, and we invite community members, stakeholders, and interested parties to participate in this important process. The Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment outlines preferred alternatives for restoring natural resources injured by the 2018 ferric chloride spill in Flat Creek, Dawson County, GA.

    Read more

Was this page helpful?

Please provide a comment