Fewer complaints about smell, says Domtar

NEWS — Complaints about smell from the pulp mill were “notably fewer” than the previous two years, says an annual air report from Domtar.

The report says the reduction in complaints coincides with “measurable reductions in high stack total reduced sulfur and sulfur dioxide emissions.”

The high stack is the discharge point for emissions from the mill’s chemical recovery boiler and is closely monitored for particular matter, odour and haze, says the report.

It adds that complaints followed a typical trend of increasing during summer months and decreasing during colder winter weather.

“The mill has observed what appears to be a heightened sensitivity by the community to odour, with an increasing number of complaints occurring when measured ambient TRS levels are very low.”

TRS stands for total reduced sulphur.

High stack emissions were in compliance with new, more stringent permit limits throughout the year, the report said, quoting a 67 per cent reduction in discharged particulate since 2010 when the mill invested in several methods of cutting particulate emissions.

The annual air report to Interior Health and the Environment Ministry is a requirement under the mill’s permit. The 2013 permit included reductions in particulate discharge and sulphur dioxide discharge limits.