Howe Sound’s Pulp Mills

December 2002 - January 2003

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Christianne Wilhelmson

The Howe Sound Pulp & Paper mill. Laurie MacBride photo.

Howe Sound has long been a spectacular recreational area but it's also a "working waterway", with industries such as pulp mills being a large part of the local landscape.

There are two pulp and paper mills on Howe Sound. Howe Sound Pulp & Paper at Port Mellon, located at the mouth of the Rainy River on the west side of Howe Sound, and the Woodfibre Mill, located on the west side of the Sound opposite Britannia Beach.

Though these mills have long been a driving force behind the creation of towns and livelihoods, their impact on the surrounding environment hasn't been as favourable. Pulp mills make kraft pulp through a chemical process that results in the discharge of toxin-laced waste water. These toxins include resin acids, chlorinated phenols, absorbable organic halides (AOX) as well as organic waste. These contaminants impact the surrounding environment in many ways including their bioaccumulation in animals. Species near the top of the food chain, like sea lions, have high levels of toxic chemicals in their bodies, the same chemicals released by pulp mills.

The Howe Sound Pulp & Paper mill. Laurie MacBride photo.

However, the creation of improved pulp pollution technology has resulted in a decrease in the industry's impact on the environment. These technologies have helped to eliminate 90% of the dioxins in effluent since the 1980s. Creativity on the part of mill owners has also gone a long way towards designing a more environmentally friendly pulp process. In fact, pulp mills in Europe are starting to move towards practices that will create totally chlorine free, zero discharging mills.

Replacing chlorine with oxygen-based bleaching means the elimination of AOX discharges and their persistent chlorinate organic wastes. Regrettably, a recent decision by BC's provincial government to revoke the regulations requiring mills to move to zero AOX was a huge step backwards in BC and will prevent us from reaching the high standards of European mills. The reality is that for all the advancements the industry has made, pulp mill effluent, airborne emissions and solid wastes still contain many toxic chemicals, and only goals such as the zero AOX discharge regulation will help to solve the problem.

Hopefully, public pressure, new vision and leadership will ensure Howe Sound remains a beautiful recreational and working water for generations to come.

© Christianne Wilhelmson, the Georgia Strait Alliance's Clean Air and Water Program Coordinator, welcomes inquiries: Ph: 604- 633-0530 christianne@georgiastrait.org.

© Photos by Laurie MacBride.

Editor's Note: In Germany 72% of all paper comes from paper recycling mills. If the entire world were to achieve this rate, wood needed for pulp production would drop by nearly one third.

 

 

 

 

© All photos by Laurie MacBride