Paper Mill Explosion Kills Three

TOMAHAWK, WI—A July 29 explosion at the Packaging Corp. of America’s paper mill here claimed the lives of three workers and injured another. According to the Associated Press, the men died when a tank used to store recycled fiber exploded while they were performing maintenance on top of it.

A fourth worker was treated and released from a nearby hospital. An investigation was under way to determine the cause of the accident.

Lake Forest, IL-based Packaging Corp. of America manufactures containerboard and corrugated packaging products. It operates four paper mills and 67 corrugated product plants in 26 states. It registered sales of $2.3 billion last year.

The AP also reported that the Tomahawk plant had been cited three times for safety violations in the last 10 years. It was cited twice in 2006 for lacking safety guards on machines.