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Pulp and Paper Mill Pollution Prevention Report Card

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This Report Card is designed to help interested parties determine how close their local mill is to achieving zero effluent production. Along the way to achieving this goal, mills should also attain improvements in worker health and safety, air pollution and solid waste. They will completely eliminate discharges to water.

Reach for Unbleached has developed this report card to help assess the wide variety of potential improvements at pulp mills that could enhance environmental, community and worker health. While it is recognized that debate over the best pollution prevention choices is ongoing in a number of areas, the preferred options listed below represent Reach for Unbleached's opinions as to the ideal choices. We have a commitment to combining good scientific information and the precautionary principle to describe a pulp industry that provides a margin of safety where reasonable uncertainty exists. All of the technology described is in use at actual mills producing market pulp.

The Pollution Prevention Report Card was developed in 1999-2000, and, although there are major technical improvements to pulp production which have been explored at a laboratory and theoretical level, they are not, as of 2005, yet in commercial use. These as yet unproven technologies are not included in this pollution prevention evaluation, although corporations which bring the new technologies to commercial production will be leading the way in true pollution prevention.

Issues below which are descriptive of general mill procedures and non-technical operations are intended to give an overall picture of a mill's environmental impact. While, in some cases, absolute goals are difficult to quantify an attempt will be made to list general parameters to strive for.

Participants who fill out the report card do not imply agreement with all of the goals stated herein. It is not necessary to complete every section to participate.

I. Fibre Supply Description

The fibre supply is the first stage in evaluating the mill. A sustainable and fully utilised fibre supply is a major step towards a long term, viable pulp mill.

Describe your local mill in terms of the following. Please list specific equipment and capacities where possible.

A. Quantity & Type of Fibre Supply:

  • Sawdust (kg/ADT)
  • Wood Chips(kg/ADT)
  • logs (kg/ADT)
  • recycled pulp (kg/ADT)

B. Handling and Storage Procedures:

  • Are logs kept out of saltwater storage?
  • Is loose material contained?
  • Are run-off/leachate from log and fibre storage areas collected and treated?

C. Sustainability of Fibre Supply:

  • Total fibre demand (tonnes/day)
  • Raw logs from: (write N/A here if Not Applicable: )
  • Old growth(tonnes/day)
  • 2nd growth(tonnes/day)
  • Plantations(tonnes/day)
  • Do any of the trees come from environmentally certified lands?
  • Pulp Yield: ([tonnes of pulp produced per day/tonnes of fibre introduced to process per day] x 100%

II. Fibre Preparation and Pulping

  • What is the total flow from non-bleach plant processes?(m3/ADT)
  • Are chipping, screening and conveyer processes enclosed?
  • Does the mill use dry debarking?
  • Does the mill have equipment to optimize chip size?
  • Are waste fibre recovery and re-pulping systems in place?

A. Kraft Mills (write N/A here if Not Applicable: )

  • Production Figures:
    • Bleached Pulp (tonnes/day)
    • Unbleached Pulp (tonnes/day)
    • Market pulp (tonnes/day)
  • Is there a closed screen room?
  • What type of brownstock washing system is in place?
  • What is the saltcake loss?
  • Does the mill have black liquor spill recovery and reuse?
  • What is the cod/adt for the mill? Average, maximum and minimum.
  • Does the mill have digesters with reject recovery and re-pulping capability?
  • Does the mill have advanced delignification processes? (e.g. Extended delignification and/or pressurized oxygen delignification, anthroquinone, enzymes)
  • Please list the advanced delignification equipment, if possible

What KAPPA number does the pulping process achieve prior to bleaching? (Reduced KAPPA numbers reduce the need for bleaching chemicals and the amount of organic material going to the recovery boiler while still allowing for market quality pulp. KAPPA 10 has been achieved in some mills producing market pulp.)

B. Chemical Recovery (write N/A here if Not Applicable: )

  • What evaporator types are installed (e.g. Cyclone, multiple effect)?
  • List evaporator emission controls
    • what type of air emission controls?
    • how often are electrostatic precipitators flushed?
    • what is the fate of the ash from flushing?
    • what quantity of material is flushed from the precipitators?(kg/adt)
  • Is equipment in place to collect and re-circulate evaporator air emissions (weak gas collection and incineration)?
  • What percent dry solids can the evaporator achieve? (75% or greater dry solids has been achieved. The higher this number, the more efficient the combustion process)
  • Is there a white liquor oxidation system
  • Is oxidized liquor re-used?
    • if yes, can you list examples of what processes re-use oxidized liquor?
  • Does the mill have low odour, non-direct contact recovery boilers?
  • Does the mill have non-condensible gas recirculation
  • What is the recovery efficiency of the boiler? ([process chemicals recovered/process chemicals needed] x 100)
  • Do lime kilns have air emission control?
    • what type of air emissions controls?
    • are non-condensible gasses incinerated in the lime kiln?
    • what quantity of solid waste is produced by the lime kiln?(kg/adt)
    • how much reusable solid is produced vs.
    • grits
    • dregs
    • what percentage of make-up is raw caustic?
    • what is the fate of waste solids from the lime kilns?

C. Recycling mills (write n/a here if not applicable )

  • What chemicals are used in the de-inking process?
  • How much solid waste is generated by:
    • recycling (t)
    • re-pulping (t)
    • de-inking (t)
    • rebleaching/whitening (t)
  • Is the final product unbleached?

III. Bleach Plant

(Write N/A here if Not Applicable: )

    • What is the bleaching sequence?
    • Quantities and source of bleach chemicals used:
    CHEMICAL
    (Abbreviation)
    QUANTITY
    (Tonnes per day (tpd) & kg/ADT)
    SOURCE
    (Made on-site or Purchased)
    O2 (O)    
    O3(Z)    
    Cl2(C)    
    ClO2(D)    
    H2O2(P)    
    NaOCl (H)    
    NaOH(E)    
    Other?    
    Chelate (Q)    
    Acid (A)    
    Enzymes, etc.    
    • What percentage of the cost to produce a tonne of pulp is from chemical costs? Please offset cost of purchasing chemicals with any revenues from the sale of chemicals produced on-site.
    • Has chlorine gas been eliminated?
    • Have all chlorine-based bleach chemicals been eliminated?
    • What is the amount of effluent from the bleach plant?(cubic metres/adt)

(Bleach plant effluent of 3-5 m3 has been achieved, and efforts to reduce this further are ongoing. This is an essential step in zero effluent operations.)

Are any bleaching or extraction stages recycled and/or re-used in the process?

D. Pulp Processing and Drying

    • Are systems in place for the recycling and re-use of waste liquors, pulp and process chemicals
      • Knotters Yes/No/Notes
      • Reject Refiners Yes/No/Notes
      • Screens Yes/No/Notes
      • Cleaners Yes/No/Notes
      • Washers Yes/No/Notes
      • Deckers Yes/No/Notes
    • Are pulp drying, pressing and packaging procedures optimized for energy efficiency, chemical recovery and waste product re-use? Please describe.

  • IV. Paper Mill

    A. Non-Integrated Mills

    • How is pulp transported to the mill and from where?
    • What pulp types are imported to the mill?

    B. Integrated Mills & Non-Integrated Mills

    • What product types does the mill produce?
    • What is the cost of production per tonne compared to cost of product?
    • Is stock preparation (i.e. Pulpers, screens, refiners, cleaners, consistency regulators and stock mixers) designed for closure?
    • What is the speed of the paper machines(feet/minute [fpm] or metres/min [m/min])
    • What are the required pulp specifications for the paper machines?
      • tensile strength
      • tear strength
      • burst strength
      • other?
    • What other operations (calandering, filler, coating) are preformed on the paper?

    (These processes may have pollution issues of their own, and they need to be integrated into the closed mill design)

  • V. Power and Steam Generation

  • A. Power Boilers (write N/A here if Not Applicable )

      • What type of power boiler does the mill have?
      • What type of fuel is burned? (oil, natural gas, hogged waste, other)
      • Are modern electrostatic precipitators used to clean the stack emissions? If not, what is the control technology?
      • What quantity of ash is generated? (kg/adt)
      • What is the fate of ash? (secure landfill is best option)
      • Has a full chemical analysis of the ash be completed? (please append copy, if available)
      • Is generated steam
        • used on-site
        • exported or sold?

      B. Electricity

      How does the mill meet its electricity requirements?

      • on-site generation? Yes/no/notes
      • off-site purchases? Yes/no/notes
      • what is the source?
      • How much energy does the mill use? (kwh/adt)

      VI. Water Use and Treatment

      • What is the daily usage of fresh water for the mill?(m3/adt) What source of fresh water does the mill use? What is the maximum flow rate of that source?(m3/hour [min?, day?])
      • Minimum flow rate of that source? (m3/hour [min?, day?])
      • How is incoming fresh water treated?
        • Screening Yes/No
        • Primary
          • Physical Yes/No
          • chemical Yes/No
          • biological Yes/No
        • Secondary
          • chemical Yes/No
          • biological Yes/No
      • Are wastes from fresh water treatment recycled or reused?
      • Is fresh water which is used for non-process activities reused and recycled?

      VII. Effluent Treatment

      • What quantity of effluent is generated by the mill?
        • liquid waste?(kg/adt)
          (total mill effluents of 20m3/adt of pulp are currently being achieved in kraft mills and reduction efforts continue)
      • solid waste?(kg/adt)
      • Describe the effluent treatment systems
        • primary
        • physical Yes No name of system?
        • chemical Yes No name of system?
        • biological Yes No name of system?
        • Secondary
        • chemical Yes No name of system?
        • biological Yes No name of system?
      • Are processes and equipment in place to allow maximum chemical recovery and re-use of sludge, ash, grits and dregs within the pulp mill? Please describe.
      • How are unrecovered sludge, ash, grits and dregs disposed of? (secure landfill is best option)

      VIII. What is the Market Situation for the Mill?

      • Do you have a way to help the public understand the mill's economic realities? For example, the cost of production compares to sale costs, etc?
      • What products does the mill produce (e.g. Northern bleached softwood kraft, kraft saturating, corrugating, linerboard, general hardwood and softwood market kraft)?
      • What are the required pulp specifications for the listed products
        • strength(n/cm2)
        • brightness(% iso)
        • paper machine speeds(m/min)
        • other????
      • What capital investments have been made in this mill over the last 5-10 years, starting with the most recent?
      • Please list amounts and project specifics.

      IX. General Environmental Performance

      Does the mill have a record of environmental violations?
      • If yes, please list:
        • Date Violation
        • Issuing Authority
        • Enforcement Action
      • Is the mill in compliance with all of its permits?
      • Has the mills requested lower permit levels as actual discharge levels have been reduced?
      • Has the mill responded to pollution problems by eliminating sources of pollution rather than installing end-of-pipe controls?
        • List examples, if available
          • Pollution Problem
          • Solution
          • Prevention or End-of-pipe?
      • Are management systems in place to deal with outstanding pollution issues (e.g. ISO 14001)

      X. Labour and Community Relations

      • Does the mill use only union labour? (what percentage? )
      • Does the union have access to decision making about the mill? .
      • How often are there reported cases of workers needing first aid or hospitalization?
        • Date
        • Number Of Workers
        • Cause
        • Outcome
      • Are there health problems in the community associated with mill emissions (e.g. Breathing difficulties, eye irritations, olfactory distress)?
      • What kind of investments does the company make in the community (charities, educational programs, employee training, etc.)
 

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