Federal Judge Denies AF&PA Participation In Oregon EPR Lawsuit According to multiple sources, a federal judge has denied a motion by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and other groups to join the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors’ (NAW’s) lawsuit against Ore- gon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director Leah Feldon. The decision from U.S. District Judge Michael H. Si- mon keeps the case limited to the original parties, includ- ing NAW, which filed the suit. The lawsuit challenges the state’s extended producer responsibility program estab- lished under the RMA, which took effect July 1, 2025. AF&PA, along with the Northwest Grocery Association, Oregon Business & Industry, and Food Northwest, filed a motion in March seeking to intervene in the case and block enforcement of the law on their members. That re- quest followed a preliminary injunction granted to NAW in February, which temporarily halted enforcement of the RMA for its members until a July 13 hearing in U.S. District Court in Portland. In his decision, Simon pointed to timing as a primary factor in denying the motion. He noted that NAW and the state are already engaged in expedited discovery ahead of the July trial, and adding new parties at this stage would expand the scope of the case and increase the workload for the defendant, potentially delaying proceedings. The court also found that AF&PA did not present a persuasive reason for waiting to file its motion. Simon ref- erenced the February 2 injunction granted to NAW and a February 13 notice from DEQ stating it would continue enforcing the RMA on non-NAW producers. AF&PA filed its motion March 16. The ruling leaves open the option for AF&PA to pursue its own legal challenge. In a statement issued April 8, AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock said the organization disagrees with the ruling but will continue to evaluate its options. She said AF&PA remains committed to pursuing legal and strategic paths to protect its members. In an April 8 statement, AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock said, “While we respectfully disagree with the ruling, AF&PA remains fully committed to pursuing all available legal and strategic options to protect our mem- bers’ interests.” She continued, saying the law imposes large and un- necessary burdens on products that are already some of the most successfully recycled materials in the U.S. “These burdens include higher-than-anticipated fees, expanded reporting and compliance obligations and poli- cy design choices that shift costs onto paper manufactur- ers without meaningfully improving recycling outcomes,” Brock says. “We will continue working closely with part- ners and counsel to secure meaningful relief for our mem- bers and ensure that recycling policies are workable, fact- based and do not increase costs across the supply chain.”
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
CORRUGATED REPLACEMENTS, INC. www.corrugatedparts.com
Corrugated Replacements, Inc. is a production powerhouse that manufactures high quality machine parts and replace- ment parts for the corrugated and paperboard converting industries. CRI can redesign, engineer, and manufacture any part while providing a rapid turn-around rate, keeping machines running at their peak performance and limiting down time.
C.U.E., INC. www.AnvilCovers.com
Makers of single and dual-width Timesaver® Anvil Covers, the premier urethane anvil cover for corrugated die cutting. Timesaver® covers feature construction of solid steel back- ing and solid steel locking components to ensure a precise fit every time. C.U.E., Inc. also offers Dura-Latch and Cor- Lock anvil covers, and urethane Lead Edge Feed Wheels.
EMBA www.embausa.com
The EMBA group supports a complete line of corrugated converting machinery for the worldwide market. EMBA’s Quick Set technology enables the highest productivity across a broad range of converting equipment, from mini to super jumbo. EMBA also includes the McKinley jumbo line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters as well as ser- vice, rebuilds and upgrades for both EMBA and McKinley.
EAGLEWOOD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC www.eaglewoodtech.com
Eaglewood Technologies offers trusted cleaning technolo- gies for the world’s best printers and converters. Solutions include the award winning Sitexco+ Anilox Laser System, the Nanovis Parts Washing System, the Sitexco L10 Label System, the innovative Sanilox™ System or Alphasonics solutions. We also offer Xpress™ mobile cleaning service at your facility or ours. ESKO www.esko.com ArtiosCAD and Kongsberg are the most trusted names in CAD/CAM solutions. Esko’s ArtiosCAD is the most widely used CAD software in the world. Esko’s Kongsberg series of tables brings you reliable, outstanding quality for sample- making and short run production.
DOMINO www.dominodigitalprinting.com
Domino is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital printing and product identification solutions. Celebrating its 44th year, Domino is headquartered in the UK and North America headquarters are Illinois. Domino has 25 subsid- iaries, representation in over 120 countries, and over 2,900 employees worldwide.
26 April 20, 2026
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