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Mill's Poor Pollution Ranking Tough to Read |
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New rules make significance of mill's poor pollution ranking tough to read
By Peter Rusland
The Pictorial
May 28 2005
Appearances can be deceiving regarding the quality and quantity of air
emission hikes reported by the Crofton pulp mill, a spokesman with a
federal watchdog group cautions.
Evan Lloyd of the North American Commission for Environmental
Cooperation referred to the CEC's recent Taking Stock document ranking
the NorskeCanada mill fourth in Canada with the largest increase in
total emissions on and off site between 1998 and 2002.
The mill sat at number 32 among some 24,000 reporting companies across North America during the same period.
"But this only reports volume of chemicals released," he said.
"You have to look at the chemical composition to make determinations about toxicity and exposure rates," he said.
"Being number one in mercury emissions isn't the same as being number one in hydrochloric acid emissions."
Graham Kissack, the mill's environmental supervisor hints the CEC's
rankings are skewed because the number of compounds the mill must
report to Environment Canada's National Pollution Release Inventory
rises each year.
"In 1998 we were required to report on two compounds; in 2002 we were required to report on 23.
"We really have to compare apples and oranges."
He added Crofton's emissions have dropped by 90 per cent for
particulate matter, 72 per cent in greenhouse gases and 70 per cent in
odour emissions since 1990.
"As a whole the pulp and paper sector is doing a good job in reporting
emissions," said Kissack, adding the mill only reports emissions of
compounds as required by the feds.
Lloyd says just because the mill wasn't mandated to report certain pollutants in the past "doesn't mean it was zero."
"The mill's have changed how they report but you have to ask, 'What (toxins levels) was being released before?'"
Crofton was ranked 43rd in Canada in total emissions for 2002, not
fourth for that year as first reported, then corrected, by the Canadian
Institute for Environmental Law & Policy.
"But even at 43rd, is that something to be proud of?" asks Michael Ableman of the Crofton Airshed Citizens Group.
Ableman prefers to cite CEC figures showing the mill had the single
largest increase in pollution releases in Canada between 1995 and 2002.
"The CEC did the math based on Norske's own data. Someone's playing games," he said.
"Norske relies on the fact no one has the time or expertise to study the NPRI report.
"Industrial pollution numbers are up. The more heat on the mill, the
more damning the reports, and the more spin will take place.
"I want to talk about getting it cleaned up rather than arguing about who said what.
"We're worried about legitimate concerns."
The CEC's 300-page Taking Stock report can be found at www.CEC.org.
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