Employees of closed International Paper lumber mill in Va eligible for federal aid

Workers at Va lumber mill eligible for federal aid

FRANKLIN, Va. — About 120 workers who lost their jobs when a lumber mill in Franklin closed are eligible for federal assistance.

International Paper closed the mill earlier this year, citing a drop in demand due to foreign imports. The mill produced pine lumber board.

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Labor has approved the workers’ eligibility for a federal program that provides job retraining and other assistance.

The lumber mill’s closure is separate from International Paper’s planned shutdown of its paper mill in Franklin in 2010.