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Palatka Paper Plant Claims Exemption From Guns-At-Work

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The Associated Press

Published: July 15, 2008

JACKSONVILLE - Georgia Pacific's paper mill in Palatka is joining two Orlando theme parks that claim they are exempt from a new state law allowing employees to keep guns in their cars at work.

Georgia Pacific told its 1,000 workers in Palatka that the Department of Homeland Security is the reason its employees are prohibited from bringing guns to work, said Jeremy Alexander, a company spokesman.

Marion Hammer, past national president of the National Rifle Association, said the exemption is "ludicrous," adding "they cut down trees and make toilet paper."

The explanation for the homeland security exemption is that the plant receives large amounts of oil, which are brought in by barge up the St. Johns River into Rice Creek, Alexander said. Palatka is about 50 miles southwest of Jacksonville.

That means the plant is subject to the Maritime Security Act and its facility security plan, which bans guns at the plant and in the parking lot. The plan is approved by the Department of Homeland Security, he said.

Hammer said many employees at the plant are hunters who carry their guns with them so they can go hunting before and after work. She also said the mill is in a rural area and workers have a right to protect themselves when they travel to and from work.

The new law is being challenged in federal court in Tallahassee by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Retail Federation, which argue it compromises safety. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle heard arguments against the law in late June, but has not ruled.

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