entry reflections 231

the last of the paper industry in Drammen, Norway was closed down in 1986. it was known as papirbyen, the city with the paper mills. while the loss of the industry meant the loss of a lot of jobs it also was a major reduction of pollution, especially for the river and fjord. the most toxic pollutant, chlorine caused the extinction of salmon in the river. today most of the sources of pollution are gone and the water is quite clean, but the bottom sediment of both the river and fjord still contain many pollutants from nearly a century of industrial waste. many of the industrial buildings along the river have been replaced with a mix of modern structures, some governmental, some university campus, and some residential and business. these reflections are from that area