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Campbell River - "What's That Stench?" |
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By Grant Warkentin - Campbell River Mirror Published: November 06, 2008 5:00 PM
Neighbours of the Elk Falls mill want an explanation for the black ash and goo that settles on their houses.
“What is it? That’s what I would like to know,” asked Bryan Dann, who’s tired of scraping the unknown substance off the roof of his Discovery Drive home.
Residents questioned Catalyst mill representatives at an Elk Falls
Community Advisory Forum meeting Wednesday. They wanted to know what’s
coming out of the mill’s smokestacks now, and what will still be coming
out after the kraft mill shuts down in two weeks?
The Catalyst
representatives couldn’t offer a detailed answer, other than to say the
ash contains a lot of different substances released from burning salty
hog fuel and coal in the power boiler.
“It’s basically wood particles – unburned wood and ash,” said the mill’s environmental officer Brian Houle.
He added that after the kraft mill shuts down, the tell-tale “mill smell” which often permeates Campbell River, will disappear.
“The kraft mill is the majority of the air emissions from the Elk Falls mill,” he said.
However, the paper machines will continue to release vapour that’s
“basically” water which, combined with power boiler emissions, will
continue to create a haze from the mill.
But residents wanted more details. Dann said he has had several
conversations with Houle and mill manager Tom Paisley, and told them at
the meeting he’s not satisfied with their answers. He’s called the mill
with his concerns but said he didn’t get any help or clear answers. On
one occasion, he said, the mill offered to provide him with a
respirator.
At the meeting he and other residents demanded more transparency and straight answers from Catalyst.
Environmental group quizzed
The residents also questioned World Wildlife Fund representatives at
the meeting. The environmental organization’s Canadian Pacific region
vice-president and researcher attended to talk about how the WWF and
Catalyst have been working together since 2002 to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
“We do see Catalyst as a leader,” said WWF Vice-President Chris
Elliott, pointing out Catalyst has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions
by 70 per cent since 1990. “There’s no corporation we have worked with
that has achieved this level of results.”
However, area resident Elijah Dann questioned WWF’s objectivity, given
that the organization has received financial donations from Catalyst.
Between 1990 and 2002, Catalyst’s coastal mills (formerly owned by
Fletcher Challenge, then Norske Skog/Norske Canada) reduced their
greenhouse gas emissions by switching from fossil fuels to biomass (hog
fuel wood waste, usually seawater-soaked logs, bark and branches). The
company also promoted energy efficiency and phased out old, inefficient
equipment.
In late 2002, Catalyst donated $350,000 over three years to the WWF and
in 2005, Catalyst joined WWF’s Climate Savers program, pledging to
reduce CO2 emissions to 70 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010. It had
already drastically reduced its emissions by 2002, and met the targets
in 2006.
At the advisory forum meeting, Elliott and Vijay Cuddeford gave a
presentation outlining what WWF and Catalyst have done to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. They are also working on the “Paper Pedigree”
program, intended to promote Catalyst products in European markets as
environmentally-friendly. As well, they are working together to reduce
emissions of toxic materials such as dioxins and mercury, Cuddeford
said.
Catalyst is one of B.C.’s biggest emitters of dioxins, a cancer-causing
toxic substance which accumulates in the food chain starting with sea
life. The substance is released from burning salty hog fuel.
As well, mercury is released by burning coal in the boiler, which helps
reduce dioxin emissions. However, the dioxins are still present in the
sediment removed from the power boiler and dumped in the mill’s
landfill.
“Ash landfills are an unknown future liability and legacy,” Elliott said.
Kraft mill closure
Once the kraft mill shuts down between Nov. 16-18, 440 people will be
out of work. The mill will continue to operate two paper machines and
one power boiler, with another one available as a backup.
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