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No. 25 April 2000 News for All Interested in Featuring News, Analysis, Resources and Contacts |
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MillWatch table of contents
Georgia Pacific Not Exempt From TCF Requirement
Fletcher Challenge Obtains Chain Of Custody Certification
Cheaper, Cleaner Paper
BC's Theodosia River To Get Water Back, Salmon Next
Domtar Sludge Hits The Fan
It's Time To Clean Up Chlorine Bleaching
Pulp Mill Wants To Lower Standards On Landfill
US Firms Tap China's Wood Pulp Market
Mill-Watch is sponsored by Reach for Unbleached! Canada to connect people and re-sources working on pulp and paper issues with funding from the Brainerd Foundation and our donors. Thanks to all those in communities working to help their mill clean up. Write to us!
In March the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled that Georgia Pacific cannot use an exemption in federal pollution laws to make bright white toilet paper with chlorine dioxide. The EPA sent a letter to the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) stating that the exemption can only be used when 25% of a mill's pulp production is actually used for specialty products such as plastic mouldings, laminates and film.
Ecology sought an official interpretation of the federal rule from EPA as it applies to the Georgia Pacific mill in Bellingham after environmental groups argued the mill should be required to use totally chlorine free (TCF) technologies, which eliminate all chlorinated pollution. The so-called Cluster Rule requires calcium sulfite mills, like Georgia Pacific, to use chlorine free processes. But Georgia Pacific sought a special exemption so they could use chlorine dioxide to make bright white toilet paper.
EPA's letter states that, "the production of high brightness pulps for the production of tissue does not qualify Georgia Pacific... as a specialty grade mill."
"Based on what the mill has been telling us, they have not been making anywhere near 25% specialty products. If they are not able to meet this requirement, the EPA guidance is very clear that this mill should go TCF," said Robyn du Pre, North Sound Bay Keeper for RE Sources, a Bellingham Based organization. du Pre added, "We know that the head of the Georgia Pacific Corporation has stated that his company will never go TCF. They will fight it all the way."
* Contact Laurie Valeriano, Washington Toxics Coalition, Seattle, WA; ph (206)632-1545 x14
* Robyn du Pre, ReSources of Bellingham; ph: (360)733-8307
Fletcher Challenge Canada is the first pulp and paper manufacturer in Canada to receive a chain of custody certification for its Elk Falls paper mill in Campbell River according to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. The certification came from Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). Fletcher Challenge says it will be actively seeking FSC certified fibre to process at its Elk Falls mill in order to bring FSC certified paper to market to meet customer demand. The chain of custody certification will also enable the company to segregate and verify independently certified fibre sources from any international certification standard.
As a pulp and paper manufacturer, the company purchases fibre residual wood chips, sawdust and shavings from independent suppliers. A chain of custody system enables the company to track and verify certified fibre sources in the manufacture of paper, from fibre purchase through each stage of production to the customer. It also provides the means to supply customers with information about the certified fibre content of the company's products.
* Contact Deborah Somerville, Fletcher Challenge Canada, ph: (604)654-4933
Scientists from the University of Wisconsin and the USDA Forest Service are promoting biopulping with a fungus common in the state, Ceriporiopsis subbermispora. The fungus can soften the wood chips without breaking up the fibre, and could help cut down on the massive use of chemicals and energy involved in current processes. Mill-scale trials have been completed and the technology is open to export.
* Capital Times, February 1999
Water flows will be restored to the Theodosia River near Powell River BC through an agreement reached by the province and Pacifica Papers Inc., which uses water diverted from the river to generate hydroelectric power for its paper mill.
The dam, 12 kilometres from the mouth of the Theodosia River, diverts about 70 per cent of the river's natural flow to the Powell Power Plant. The Theodosia River diversion has been active and licensed through the province since 1956.
Miles Lauzon, Pacifica Papers vice president and general manager of the Powell River Mill, welcomed the announcement as a step toward addressing the Theodosia dam issue. "While the water that is diverted from the Theodosia River provides a cost advantage for the operation of our paper mill at Powell River, we accept that this needs to be balanced against sound environmental stewardship," said Lauzon. Lauzon said Pacifica expects in return either lump sum compensation or future subsidized power.
The planning process will begin this spring and is expected to take five years. Water flow in the Theodosia River will be restored gradually starting this spring.
* Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Vancouver Province, February 2000
Officials at Domtar Fine Paper in Cornwall, Ontario have notified the Ministry of the Environment that some toilets and urinals at the mill connect with the mill's waste water treatment process. The sludge from the waste water system is de-watered and called 'Domtar Soil Conditioner.' This odorous material has been sold to the public for home garden use on Bag Day for the last 5 years and is delivered for free to farms that are approved as organic waste disposal sites. Last year it was revealed that the sludge contains extremely high levels of fecal coliforms and fecal streptococcus, which may indicate the presence of organisms that may cause health problems in humans or animals. Documents provided by Domtar to the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, AgriFood Canada, and the local health officer originally maintained that there was no human fecal matter entering the sludge lagoons. Domtar realized that toilets were flowing into the sludge clarifier following a visit to some toilets at the Mill by the Ministry of Environment.
Reilly, who had pressed the mill for answers on their toilet connections, asked the inevitable question: "There needs to be a scrupulous examination of industrial waste disposal programs. The public needs to know much more about what wastes are going into Domtar sludge. If the mill can publish inaccurate documents to regulators and to the public for nearly a year that their toilets don't connect to sludge, what other research did they get wrong?"
* Maureen Reilly : (416)922-4099
In the February issue of Pulp and Paper International, Christoph Thies and Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace International recall the success of the GP campaign to move pulp mills away from chlorine bleaching and towards sustainability in the later 1980s and early 1990s.
"Looking back, it seems the celebration was premature. Alongside the TCF technologies, the industry introduced bleaching with chlorine dioxide, which it misleadingly calls elemental chlorine-free (ECF). This has not only enabled the industry to continue using existing technology without investing in new and cleaner processes such as TCF, but it has also helped the chlorine manufacturers to continue to do business as usual.
"A whole international lobby, preaching ECF as the most environmentally friendly technology, has joined forces over the years. Data and research have been produced and marketed to selectively demonstrate that there is little difference between the environmental impacts of TCF and ECF pulp mill effluents. While this is true in certain cases, it is important to point out that it only applies to the most modern, so-called "ECF light" plants, situated mostly in the Nordic countries. It should not be used as a blanket argument to describe the global picture, which is far gloomier."
Thies and Kaiser note that something strange is going on in the European TCF supply lines, where there is less TCF pulp produced than sold, and conclude that some manufacturers are mixing ECF pulp into their so-called "TCF-Quality" products. They conclude that the lack of straight dealing over chlorine bodes poorly for any future logging agreements.
"There is nothing phobic about wanting to get rid of chlorine chemicals though. There can be no place for them in ecologically sound production a goal which the pulp and paper industry is in a realistic position to strive for. But that requires the industry consistently to keep on cleaning up their act at all levels. After all, if companies are not to be trusted in the simple case of chlorine, then how can we be sure they keep their promises about not touching ancient forests in 10 years time?"
* Pulp&Paper International, February 2000
The CFI Skookumchuck Pulp Mill is applying for an amendment of the Special Wastes Regulations so that ultimately they can lower the environmental standards of how to deal with the toxic landfill sites.
Residents of the Skookumchuck, Wasa, Kimberley and Cranbrook area voiced their concerns at a Pubic Meeting in mid-February.
When there are high levels of toxic contaminants being produced, the pulp mill waste has to be handled under the Special Waste Regulations. CFI is trying to change those requirements. If CFI gets this amendment it means that the waste produced from the mill will be classified as Contaminated Waste instead of as Special Waste. In British Columbia Contaminated Waste classifications have lower environmental standards.
East Kootenay Environmental Society (EKES) Spokesperson Hugh MacPherson states, "It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment to uphold the Special Waste Regulations which were developed in order to ensure adequate environmental protection. Weakening the Regulations will only mean that the environment will suffer. In this case, the environment at risk is the Kootenay River and all the life forms that live in and around it, including humans. There are serious implications to the health of the Kootenay River all the way down to the USA."
The change would affect the level of "security" at both CFI's new landfill and the closure plans for the old landfill. The mills new landfill site is being designed to meet the lesser environmental standards of 'Contaminated Waste' even though the amendment has not been granted yet. "CFI is presuming that the Ministry of Environment is going to approve the changes to the Special Waste Regulations!" says MacPherson. "We are concerned that MoE is not enforcing the Special Waste Regulations, in particular the pH requirements."
EKES is also concerned because the new landfill site is located on top of the already contaminated old 'Rapid Infiltration' Ponds, built on gravel.
* Hugh MacPherson, EKES, ph: (250)489-6267
Stake Technology Ltd. and Pacitec Inc. are teaming up to supply non-wood pulp processing systems in China. StakeTech's system uses high pressure steam, to simplify the overall pulping process. The system also reduces chemicals needed and, with typical yields of 70 to 85%, the company says another benefit of its system is more pulp per ton of raw material.
China plans to overhaul its paper making industry by localising many of the processes that are currently performed by foreign firms. China currently imports large amounts of paper and pulp and its paper manufacturers tend to be small, with old technology and equipment.
* P&P OnLine, November 1999
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