Don C. Brunell: Straw Pulp Looks Like Win Win

Here’s a switch! Rather than closing another pulp and paper mill, a new one is under construction right here in Washington.

Columbia Pulp’s plant on the Snake River will use a new technology that pulls cellulose out of the abundant straw left over from wheat and alfalfa harvests. The $184 million plant near Dayton is scheduled to open later this year. Traditionally, pulp comes from wood either grown specifically for paper making or as byproducts from sawmills.

When fully operational, it will add 100 full-time jobs in Columbia County, which the Washington State Employment Security Dept., report...