Editor, Gazette-Journal:

The RockTenn paperboard mill at West Point has applied for a renewal of its groundwater withdrawal permit for another ten years. If the permit is granted, the mill could pump 8,407,200,000 gallons of water a year from underground reservoirs that are already imperiled. Decision makers confront a painful dilemma.

Several factors favor approval of the permit. First, the West Point mill has a long and venerated history, going back to the beginning of the 20th century. The mill utilized groundwater for papermaking decades before the passage of Groundwater Management Act of 1992.

Second, in the past few decades, the mill has instituted numerous water conservation technologies, including water-reuse.

Third, the mill provides a payroll for roughly 600 employees and funds at least one-half of the town’s tax base. Closing the mill or reducing its production would have a severe economic impact on the
local citizens.

The case for denying the permit rests...