Brainerd mayor hopes to resume talks with potential buyer of Wausau Paper Mill

The mayor of Brainerd says he's attempting to re-start talks with Liberty Diversified International about buying the Wausau Paper mill.

Liberty Diversified International's chairman and CEO informed the city of Brainerd Tuesday the company was no longer interested in buying the plant, citing environmental concerns. The mill stopped production in April. City and economic development officials had been seeking a new owner since then.

Mayor James Wallin said he hopes the city will have the chance to talk to the company about its concerns.

"Having a major acquisition, there are things that come up and sometimes you need to step back, re-evaluate and see if something positive can come of it," said Wallin. "At this point, I have not thrown in the towel."

The mill's closure cost about 130 workers their jobs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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