The two Vancouver island mills formerly owned by Fletcher Challenge Canada and now part of the Norske Skog Corporation released good news in August.

Crofton announced that by the end of 2000 it would collect odourous sulphuric emissions from the mills pulp cooking lines for incineration in the boilers. An upgrade to the lime kiln is also included in the first phase of the $9.7 million air improvement project, which could reduce odour by 70%.

Once the work is completed, Crofton will meet US Environmental Protection Agency Cluster Rules on limits to low concentration odourous emissions. Graham Kissack, environmental coordinator, said, "This reduction will appreciably improve the air quality within the mill for employees and in the surrounding communities of Crofton, Maple Bay and Duncan. We're excited to be in the position where such a large reduction can be made all at once."

The mill had been in protracted negotiations with the BC Ministry of Environment about its disastrous air emissions, and the regional office had reached the point of threatening legal action.

A second phase, to be completed by the end of 2001, will further reduce emissions to about 15% of their current levels.

Not to be outdone, Elk Falls at Campbell River announced that it planned to reduce, or maybe even eliminate, "power boiler haze" through a $19 million project to install a wet precipitator, working in conjunction with the current scrubber, by July 2001. The wet electrostatic precipitator uses an electric charge to remove particles from flue gases. It differs from a conventional precipitator as it operates on a cool and wet stream of gas. The mill currently uses a scrubber to remove particles from boiler emissions. In a scrubber, the boiler gases are passed through a fine water spray to capture the particles. The project appears to be somewhat of an experiment, since wet precipitators are not commonly used for this purpose.

The company waxed eloquent about the haze, which has caused despair and anger in Quadra Island residents and the Cape Mudge Band. "This project will eliminate haze generated from the power boiler that frequently drifts over Discovery Passage and Quadra Island during the summer months. The haze is caused by the presence of sea salt in the wood waste used for fuel in the boiler. Conventional air pollution control equipment has proven to be inefficient at removing these tiny salt particles."

The company discretely omitted to mention that the "tiny salt particles" are accompanied by minuscule molecules of dioxin. The vast majority of the dioxin is captured in the secondary treatment system, and goes to landfill with the sludge and ash. BC pulp mills are currently spearheading an initiative to spread their industrial wastes on forest and farm land.

The Elk Falls announcement follows completion in July of two projects totalling $5 million to reduce odour emissions from the mill.

This project will come on line just about the same time as the ICP Co-Gen plant adds its load to the Campbell River air. In September, as the BC Ministry of Environment joined lower mainland residents in protesting the Sumas Two natural gas co-gen plant, Environment Canada explained that it could hardly oppose a facility in the United States when the Campbell River plant will produce six times the amount of air pollution.

* For further information contact: Graham Kissack, Environmental Coordinator Crofton, ph: (250)246-6227; Chuck Easton, Environmental Co-ordinator Elk Falls, ph: (250)287-5433

* Press Releases, August and September 2000 and Reach for Unbleached! files

---

Novel technology has been developed in Finland and Sweden for the purification of effluents and closing of process water loops in the pulp and paper industry. In July 1999 a new company, Conox Ltd., was established in Finland for the global launch of the new technology as a joint venture by Hackman Group, Jaakko Pyry Oy, and Eka Chemicals AB.

The new company will build treatment plants based on technology which facilitates total or partial closure of process water loops in paper mills and in pulp bleaching plants, as well as recovery of chemicals and energy from black liquor in pulp mills processing straw and other non wood fibre sources. The technology is also suitable for elimination of landfill leachates and waste liquors from agricultural sources.

The core of Conox technology is combustion equipment, which, the company says, "by means of technically pure oxygen can decompose evaporation concentrates without causing harmful emissions." Another special technology offered by the company is desilication of black liquor from non wood pulping, which in combination with the novel combustion technology, will greatly enhance the environmental performance and economy of non wood pulp mills.

* http://www.conox.com/index.html

---

Weyerhaeuser plans to invest C$167 million over the next two years to introduce oxygen delignification and upgrade its water treatment program allowing a future increase in capacity at its 310,000 tonnes/yr Grande Prairie, Alberta market pulp mill. The new system will reduce lignin content going into the Wapiti River by about 50 percent. The mill, which uses 57,000 m³ of water per day from the Wapiti, plans to inject oxygen into the water during the bleaching process.

* www.pponline.com, September 2000

---

The BC Ministry of Environment is planning to lower the reporting of non-compliance with pollution permits to once a year from every six months. The Ministry says that the report has become less effective as a tool to shame companies and municipalities into compliance, (presumably the outstanding violators are shameless), and they will save staff time by not telling the public about violations so often.

---

Crofton pulp mill has eliminated the use of liquid anhydrous ammonia by substituting safer liquid urea fertilizer as a nutrient for the bacteria in the waste water treatment system. Ammonia is a hazardous substance, with a potential gas risk to employees and residents living in the vicinity of the mill.

Although the urea will cost approximately $300,000 more per year than the original ammonia supply, it is less damaging to equipment, is easier to add to the treatment process and poses virtually no threat during transport by truck. Crofton states that it intends to continue reviewing its chemicals in an effort to use more environmentally friendly substances in the manufacture of pulp and paper.

* For further information contact: Graham Kissack, Environmental Coordinator, ph: (250)246-6227

* Press Release, August 2000

---

Advocates of a green economy are promoting methane digesters to compost Toronto's 1.3 million tonnes of garbage, turning it into saleable methane gas and compost, instead of fugitive methane emissions which add to the global greenhouse effect. When methane, which forms naturally in landfills as garbage decomposes, is burned, it turns to carbon dioxide, a much less powerful greenhouse gas. Methane emissions from the decomposition of greenery under hydroelectric flooding are now recognized as a serious global problem. Advocates of the idea say that the estimated $100 million cost would be offset by annual sales and fees of $20 million. Using the methane instead of letting it escape would also lower Toronto's greenhouse gas emissions by 6%. A pilot project is to start next year.

* Toronto Star, July 2000