Thursday, June 1, 2023 2:15 pm
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CANTON, N.C. (From news reports) -- North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein toured Canton on Wednesday morning.
Along with Mayor Zeb Smathers, he walked in the shadow of the soon-to-be shuttered Pactiv Evergreen paper mill. He said Pactiv Evergreen is in violation of a contract it signed for a $12 million state grant promising the plant would stay open through next year. And Stein said the state will enforce its rights under that contract.
Stein said, although the closing is heartbreaking to many, the resilience of Canton residents, including Pisgah High School students, will carry the town forward
"These guys have already developed plans for what that property can be going forward, to create a new Canton, one that's rooted in the legacies of this mill town but has a better and brighter future for the young people," Stein said.
He said his team continues to meet with Pactiv Evergreen leadership, describing the meetings as "professional."