Port Townsend Paper mill fined $30K for violating emission protocols

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  The Washington State Department of Ecology has fined Port Townsend Paper mill for two incidents that led to emission from the plant in 2016. The company has 30 days to appeal to the state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board.

According to Felix Vicino, human resources manager for the mill, the first emission release occurred during the month of August last year. A 1-inch hole had formed in a duct due to corrosion. The hole had led to leakage of small particle pollution. The leakage in small magnitude had continued until September that year, when the plant was shut down for scheduled maintenance. The examination by Department of Ecology toxologist had indicated that the emissions did not pose a threat to human health. Mill manager Mike Craft had clarified that the difficulty in reaching out to the hole had delayed the repair works, but the leak was fixed in a timely manner. The company had made it clear that such leakage incidents have never been reported at the mill before and that inspection procedures were upped following the incident so as to ensure that the duct gets inspected thoroughly at regular intervals.

The mill had reported another emission release in November 2016 when a damper on the plant’s main exhaust stack became stuck. The issue was identified during routine testing. Following this, the part that caused the damper to stick was replaced immediately. Since then the mill has increased the number of inspections conducted on the exhaust dampers, Vicino noted.

Following complaints, the Department of Ecology conducted inspections at the site which concluded that both the emissions did not cause threat to human health. Andrew Wineke, Ecology spokesman had clarified that the company has made necessary improvements at the facility to ensure that such leakage does not occur in future. Meantime, Port Townsend Paper mill management appreciated Ecology’s cooperation.

For instance, the mill’s direct greenhouse gas emissions were nearly 153,000 carbon dioxide equivalent tons in 2005. Since then, the company has made honest efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by reducing the use of fossil fuels. As a result, it has been successful in reducing GHG emissions by over 50% to an estimated 65,000 metric tons for 2014.

In July 2016, Port Townsend Paper had embarked on a three-stage plan to convert its main fossil fuel source from oil to compressed natural gas online, in an attempt to achieve cleaner air emissions. The conversion plan is likely to make the mill more competitive by increasing the efficiency of its boiler and significantly reducing its fuel cost over time.

Port Townsend Paper Corporation produces Kraft pulp, paper, containerboard, and specialty products by blending virgin and recycled fibers at its mill headquarters in Port Townsend, Washington. Along with its sister corrugated packaging facility, Crown Packaging in British Columbia, the company offers a variety of sustainable solutions to its customers. Incidentally, Port Townsend Paper is the largest private employer in Jefferson County. Port Townsend Paper recycles the equivalent of one-third of Washington’s collection of recycled cardboard each year at its Old Corrugated Container (OCC) onsite recycling facility. This recycling facility provides the mill with more than 300 tons of recycled pulp every day.