CANTON, N.C. (From news reports) -- In a notice of violation issued Monday, July 10, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has accused Pactiv Evergreen of dumping chemicals directly into its wastewater treatment system rather than disposing of them properly, as required by the company's permit.

The July 10 NOV brings Pactiv Evergreen's total since May 2021 up to 14. Over the past two years, it's been noticed and occasionally fined for violations ranging from accidental releases of turpentine and tall oil soap to out-of-compliance levels of E. coli to repeated complaints repeated complaints of gritty white dust covering cars and decks in Canton.

Thus far, it has paid $41,819 in penalties levied as a result of the violations. This is less than half the average annual wage of one mill employee at the time of the shutdown.

According to the NOV, DEQ's Division of Water Resources received a complaint on Wednesday, June 5 -- three days before the mill shut down for good June 8 -- accompanied by photos showing a hose connected to a chemical tote that appears to terminate above a floor drain. The chemical tote is labeled "sodium hydroxide solution," the NOV states, and a second chemical tote bearing a similar label is positioned on top of the tote with the hose connection. This tote has a hose that appears to drain into the top of the lower tote.

The complaint submitted to DWR alleged that the chemicals being disposed of were sodium hydroxide solution and calcium hypochlorite.