The latest update on the Cosy pulp mill saga.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Washington State Department of Ecology took over the dormant Cosmo Specialty Fibers pulp mill in Cosmopolis to begin a time-critical removal of more than 750,000 gallons of hazardous chemicals. The emergency operation is actively underway to prevent a long-term environmental disaster due to severely deteriorating storage tanks and infrastructure.

The Cleanup OperationChemical Volume: Teams are extracting over 750,000 gallons of toxic, highly corrosive materials—primarily acidic "red liquor" used during the wood-chipping process.

Timeline: The cleanup process started and is projected to take five months, resulting in increased heavy equipment and truck traffic around the site.Current Public Safety: Regulators stress that while the site poses a severe long-term environmental hazard, there is no immediate threat to the public.

Environmental Hazards & FailuresActive Leaks: Multiple large chemical tanks are structurally compromised. One tank alone was found pouring out up to 45 gallons per day of hazardous fluid.Pipeline Damage: A 42-inch-wide, 2.5-mile-long wooden pipeline running from the facility to local sludge ponds has been found leaking in at least 16 distinct locations, some of which cross directly through residential neighborhoods.

Threatened Ecosystems: The facility sits directly adjacent to the Chehalis River, putting critical local wildlife and native salmon runs at immediate risk from chemical runoff.Regulatory Penalties: Last year, the Washington Department of Ecology leveled $2.3 million in fines against the mill for negligence regarding hazardous leaks.


Additionally, the mill was flagged as the only covered company in the state that entirely failed to comply with Washington’s Cap-and-Invest carbon reduction program.Owner's Pushback vs. Government InterventionThe mill has been completely non-operational since closing its doors in 2022. It was purchased in 2023 by U.K. businessman Richard Bassett via Charlestown Investments with plans to convert the facility into a wood-based biorefinery and AI campus.A direct conflict remains between the owner and state/federal regulators:

The Owner's Position: Bassett strongly disputes the EPA's claims, stating the materials are securely stored. He argues that the forced chemical extraction will destroy millions of dollars in reusable processing materials and make it financially impossible to restart the facility, which he claims could generate $200 million annually for the Grays Harbor economy.The Government's Position: The Department of Ecology requested federal EPA intervention after the owner repeatedly failed to execute basic infrastructure maintenance. Regulators state they gave the owner ample opportunities to execute his vision, but public safety laws mandate the immediate extraction of hazardous materials regardless of future commercial plans.