PERRY, Fla. (From news reports) - Gov. Ron DeSantis Wednesday directed the Florida Department of Commerce to set up a Taylor County job fair for the 516 Georgia Pacific workers who will lose their jobs when the Foley Mill closes in November.

Georgia-Pacific announced the closure Monday and said it plans a safe and orderly shutdown in the coming weeks.

DeSantis said he will use every executive resource he has to help connect the workers to new well-paying jobs and made demands on Georgia-Pacific "to do what's right."

DeSantis called on the company to provide the Foley workers, "pay severance and insurance that will bridge the gap and allow these hard-working Floridians to get back on their feet - especially after a hurricane."

Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Taylor County three weeks ago.

DeSantis made the announcement on his X account. It followed a statement released by Congressman Neal Dunn, R-Panama City, Tuesday night.

Dunn expressed outrage over a conversation he had with a Georgia-Pacific official which he described as "extremely unhelpful" and in which comments were made Dunn called "callous and vague."

According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Georgia Pacific filed with the state Monday, the job losses include specialists such as 41 pulp drying technicians, 36, wood preparation technicians, 19 purification technicians, along with 10 shift leaders. The WARN notice was filed hours after the company surprised state officials and community leaders with a press release announcing the closure.

In all, 516 workers will be without jobs when the shutdown is complete, and nearly 2,000 additional loggers will have to find buyers elsewhere.

The mill is expected to be closed by year's end.

"The devastating hurricane already impacted their lives. The last thing they need is Scrooge viciously taking away their jobs and benefits before Christmas," said Dunn about the papermill workers.

Dunn called on Georgia-Pacific to provide the workers health benefits, pay, and severance for at least six months, and:

• Organize food banks for at least six months
• Provide paid leave for employees to access job fairs
• Provide and pay for access to job training resources, and
• Donate the building to Taylor County after the closure.

The nearly 70-year-old mill is the county's biggest employer.

Georgia Pacific purchased the mill in 2013 and has spent more than $300 million on environmental and other upgrades to the facility amid decades of criticism about polluting the Fenholloway River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

They said Monday the closure is a strategic decision based on various factors.

The company thanked the Foley employees for their hard work and pledged to provide access to local support agencies and job placement resources.