SCRUBBER  ABSORBER        NEWSLETTER               

                                                                                                                  January 2005
                                                                                                                         No. 367

Domtar Fined for Not Operating Scrubber

Maine's Dept. of Environmental Protection has fined Domtar Industries Ltd. more than $20,000 for air quality violations. The company and the Dept. of Environmental Protection have reached a negotiated settlement.

According to the proposed Administrative Consent Agreement and Enforcement Order, the excess emission and quarterly reports submitted by the company between the first and fourth quarters of 2003 indicated that from time to time the company failed to operate the facility's venturi scrubber on its No. 9 boiler, smelt dissolving tank scrubber on its No. 3 boiler and venturi scrubber on the lime kiln.

Domtar spokesman Gaile Nicholson said that the company makes it a practice to resolve any outstanding environmental matters with the DEP on a regular basis.

"In 2003, Domtar's Woodland pulp and paper mill, despite having some of the toughest environmental standards in North America, successfully achieved a stunning 99.21 percent compliance operating rate for air standards," she said.

Included within the $23,800 fine is $21,155 that the company has agreed to spend to retrofit school buses with emission reduction devices.

The DEP identified this part of the agreement as a pollution reduction project since it will significantly reduce by 20 to 40 percent diesel tailpipe emissions to the atmosphere.

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