JAY, Maine — A paper mill that was site of an explosion in 2020 is going to close in the new year, leaving 230 workers without jobs, the company said Tuesday. The Pixelle Specialty Solutions mill lost its ability to produce pulp but continued to operate a pair of paper machines after the explosion. The mill will close in the first quarter of 2023. “Economic forces beyond our control have combined to make profitable operations at the mill unsustainable,” Timothy Hess, CEO of Pennsylvania-based Pixelle, said. …The explosion in April 2020 shook the ground and sent debris and a slurry of chemicals raining down on nearby cars and buildings. No one was injured. But in the aftermath, the paper machines had to use pulp purchased from other mills, compounding the financial pressure on the mill, the company said.