NORTH CAROLINA (From news reports) -- In a letter obtained by local media that was sent on Jan. 21 to Pactiv Evergreen employees, John McCarthy, general manager of North Carolina mill operations, responded to what they call "false and misleading statements made to the media."

Last week, the newspaper reached out to Evergreen management and heard back from Beth Kelly, director of communications.

"At Pactiv Evergreen, safety is our number one priority," said Kelly.

McCarthy's letter echoed that statement.

"Evergreen prides itself on doing what's right. This is the foundation of how we operate. There is nothing more important than acting safely, ethically and with integrity," said McCarthy.

The letter describes Evergreen's "Operations Center of Excellence" through which the company is administering "continuous improvement initiatives" at the Canton mill.

Among the initiatives McCarthy mentions are:

* Installation of reporting systems for safety-related events

* New leadership positions focused on safety

* Partnerships with Haywood Community College and A-B Tech on OSHA/DOL trainings

* Onsite COVID-19 vaccinations and employee education

* Safety leadership tools

"We were all deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life on September 2020 and the serious injuries our friends and colleagues sustained this past August during an extreme weather event," said McCarthy.

McCarthy is referencing the September 2020 mill fire that claimed the lives of Brett Burgueno and Curtis Butler, who were contract workers at the mill, and the August 2021 mill explosion that seriously burned Brandon Carter and Mandy West.

Evergreen said it worked with local authorities to ensure all processes were reviewed and in line with their "strict safety protocols."

As McCarthy's letter states, the N.C. Department of Labor concluded its investigation into the September 2020 fire on March 11, 2021. No citations were issued to Evergreen Packaging for the September 2020 fire, although the contractors on site were issued hefty fines.

The final report for the August 2021 explosion has not been released by the N.C. Department of Labor. The investigation is currently in the informal conference process, which is a process that can be requested by the employee or the employer.

During the conference process, no information can be released on the case file. There is no information on when that process will conclude.