Paper Mill, Kalamazoo Residents Settled Lawsuit Over Dust and Odor

The findings of the study confirmed the presence of hazardous materials in the surrounding air.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): According to reports, Kalamazoo homeowners and Graphic Packaging have struck a settlement in a lawsuit stating that the mill plant emitted dust and a bad stench. According to court documents, a federal judge in Michigan dropped the case after the parties reached a consensus.

On September 1, 2020, Brandi Crawford-Johnson, a former Kalamazoo resident, and other locals filed a complaint in the court. It claimed that the facility's dust and industrial stench entered their homes, lowering the value of their properties.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services carried out a thorough investigation when citizens complained. The study's conclusions verified that there were dangerous substances in the air.

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According to the lawsuit, plaintiffs who lived in and around the area surrounding the GPI paper mill demanded that the firm give them $5 million. Nearly five years passed during the course of the litigation.

The lawsuit was dismissed when the two sides reached a comprehensive agreement to end the dispute on August 26, 2025, according to court documents. The agreement's terms and the lawsuit's dismissal, however, are not immediately public.

Graphic Packaging commented on the development, stating that all parties were able to meet to settle any outstanding concerns and that the court did not certify class action claims. Crawford-Johnson chose not to respond.