The Shadow
Welcome back, Shadowers! The summer season has just shifted to full throttle, and there’s lots of fun stuff happening around the Highlands. While we’re waiting for several Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests to be processed, I’ve a few new updates to report.
While AHPS and the Covington Middle School administration are busy beavering away making the promised changes and updates to the building, the investigations into the Carbon Monoxide issues still continue. In a May 12 update, Roanoke City & Alleghany Health District investigators identified 220 residents who’d undergone Carbon Monoxide testing between Jan. 31 and Feb. 7 and Mar. 26–Apr 9, 174 of them agreed to interviews, and a whopping 171 tests confirmed elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels, most of them children under 14. Thankfully, no one required hospitalization, and 95 percent of those affected reported that a breath of fresh air—literally—sent headaches, fatigue, and dizziness packing.
Digging deeper, investigators found that 91 percent of confirmed cases reported pounding headaches, 86 percent battled crushing fatigue, and half endured bouts of nausea—all classic signs of carbon monoxide’s stealthy handiwork. Luckily, homes already had detectors in 81 percent of cases, thanks in part to a blitz by the Alleghany Foundation. Overall, this is good news, leaving locals to breathe easier, most of the time.
Meanwhile, down by the Jackson River, century-old boilers at the Smurfit-WestRock mill have been allegedly puffing their tale of woe up the Alleghany skyline for decades. A report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), issued on May 29, titled “Paper Trail of Pollution,” revealed that some boilers at the Smurfit-WestRock mill apparently date back to 1940, making it not just an antique but one of the nation’s worst pollution belchers. The report states, “According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, the mill released 970,084 metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, the most of any U.S. paper mill. But in reality, the mill emitted far more than that — an estimated 2.49 million metric tons, because the EPA did not count 1.5 million metric tons from the burning of wood and other “biogenic” material.
In defense, Smurfit-WestRock told TV Station 10 News, “Contrary to the statements in EIP’s report, the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s mandatory greenhouse gas reporting rules require U.S. paper mills to submit total tons of biogenic and fossil fuel CO₂ emissions to the agency. These reports are publicly available on USEPA’s website, and accurately depict emissions measured at the Covington mill.”
But the alleged air pollution isn’t the only trouble spot for the mill. Remember the November 2024 report of fish either dead or in distress along the Jackson River near the Pool in Covington? At the time, Bill Wilson of the Jackson River Preservation Association (JRPA) rushed to the scene to investigate the troubling situation. “It’s clear something is wrong,” Wilson stated. “I’ve spoken with Jason Hill at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and he confirmed the mill reported a malfunction. They claimed the issue was either being corrected or had already been addressed, but it’s unclear which.”
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has updated its investigation of this and now confirms that a clarifier plug at the mill decided to go rogue and spew roughly 36,808 gallons of process (waste) water straight into the Jackson River. DEQ documents how that half-hour spill created a discrete “kill zone” where 56 fish—trout and bass alike—flopped their last flop, before the mill’s oxygenation systems nudged dissolved-oxygen back above 6 mg/L by dawn’s early light. TV Station WFXR reached out to Smurfit WestRock and got a statement from the mill. The mill publicly disagreed with DEQ’s findings, but agreed to pay the requested $1,855 for investigation costs. The mill has received more than a dozen reports filed over the last five years regarding the plant’s alleged pollution of the Jackson River.
In the lighter corners of the Highlands, summer has rolled in like a bright brass band, ready to lift our spirits. Across town, the crack of bats and the roar of the crowd signal that the Covington Lumberjacks baseball season is underway, delivering more hits than a Bluegrass Jamboree. Inside the cool hush of the Clifton Forge Public Library, children have swapped screen time for story time since the kickoff of the summer reading program on June 2, filling shelves and laps alike with new adventures. Meanwhile, at Covington City Pool, the air carries the echo of cannonballs and laughter as families dive into chlorinated bliss.
Over in Covington, the roar of engines and the gleam of polished chrome marked the first of many classic car shows, and more rolling exhibitions are lined up for the next couple of months. And at Covington Middle School, hopeful grins and twirling Cheshire-Cat smiles will fill the auditorium on June 9, when auditions begin for the Missoula Children’s Theatre’s production of “Alice in Wonderland.”
And finally, if you need a reminder of hometown pride, look no further than our rising senior Kiera Lowman, who captured her seventh VHSL state title with a commanding victory in the 3200-meter run. Already established as one of the top distance runners in the state, Lowman’s win adds to an already decorated career, with one more season still to come.
I’m out of time and out of coffee, but I’ll leave you with the words of wisdom from Ralph Waldo Emerson on how to get your summer on; “Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air.”
