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SHORT HISTORY 2004
The NorskeCanada pulp and paper mill at Crofton applied for a 30 month
permit to test burning "alternative fuels" inside its main Power Boiler
#4. Their Open House, held late in November 2003, less than a month
before the deadline for Public Input (a six month period) told us how
much better life would be with tires and coal and ties acting as
stabilizing accelerants for their salty "hog fuel" (wet ocean-salted
bark). Their proposal(pdf). The tests proposed looked really scanty,
and the tale began to unfold that three other Norske mill towns had
"assented" to these "alternate fuels" tests, over public opposition.
And this was the last mill, of the four NorskeCanada mill towns within
a 100 mile radius of each other.
Thanks to public input and the Company's desire to listen, time for
public comment to MWALP was at first extended to January 31, 2004.
Norm Dressler, retired Chief Meteorologist, kindly provided us with a
description of our air shed, and recommended extensive sampling.
The Crofton Airshed Citizen's Group, a public working group, was formed
to investigate NorskeCanada Crofton mill's impacts on the environment
and public health. A Public Meeting was called by this
hastily-assembled group for January 20th. More than 500 people
attended. [See Online Video Archives or access the written transcipt
(pdf 820Kb)), or read all about it in the NEWS.]
After that public meeting, NorskeCanada asked the Ministry for a
further six month extension, to July 31, and announced the beginnning
of a public consultation process. Members of the Crofton Airshed
Citizen's Group ventured to the first of its meetings in this process
with Tudor Williams, NorskeCanada's hired public consultancy
consultant, on April 1. We submitted a clear list of our concerns. And
these were replied to by NorskeCanada (pdf 128 Kb) on May 18, a day
before our second meeting.
The second meeting turned out to be a surprise presentation by an
already-hired air modelling and health effects team, Jacques Whitford,
who took rather great pains to inform us how "independent" they were,
and how harmless the emissions were likely to be.
For an executive summary of the earlier focus group concerns, please
visit the web site of Tudor Williams. They've done a job of presenting
input from about 70 people including employees, industry suppliers,
politicians and citizens, who expressed concerns on a wide variety of
topics. The Company has replied to these reports in a fairly thorough
manner.
We were e-informed on May 25th by Tudor Williams that: "This summary
plus a document listing all of these questions with their answers can
now be found on our web site on the page devoted to the Crofton
Community Engagement Process ." Look for the pdf's: "Summary of Focus
Group Findings (72 Kb)" and "Filling in the Information Gap (404 Kb)" ,
the Company's response to questions raised.
Monday July 19 - We met with local Union Presidents Phil Davies of PPWC
(Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada) and Alan Edkins of CEP
(Communications, Energy, and Papermakers Union), along with National
representatives for both Unions from Vancouver, at an informal first
meeting in Ladysmith. Agreeing that we are at least on parallel tracks,
regarding increased monitoring and better governance of emissions, we
will be meeting again soon.
Tuesday, July 27 - A sub-committee of the Community Forum, consisting
of a member from each of the identified groups (so far as that was
possible) met to make a recommendation to the larger Community Forum
regarding the peer review teams.
August 5, 2004 - The Community Advisory Forum met for a second time,
and after much discussion, chaired by Mayor Jon Lefebure, agreed to
have two peer review teams review the Jacques Whitford Crofton Air
Emissions and Health Impacts Study - one team financed by NorskeCanada,
one financed by the Crofton Airshed Citizen's Group. Both teams are to
independently review the study, and report back to the Forum. These
will be two teams of experienced scientists reviewing the basic
assumptions, input data, calculations and conclusions of the Jacques
Whitford study, which is nearing completion.
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Air Pollutants 
