NWF Alert on Dioxin emissions from Pulp and Paper industry

["Alex J. Sagady" <asagady@sojourn.com>]

This is an alert from the NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
web site at http://www.nwf.org that I thought
dioxin-l list members should see!!

Alex Sagady



>    Next month, the EPA will decide whether to reduce the release of
>    dioxin and other pollutants into our air and water. Please write
>   President Clinton today urging him to protect humans and wildlife!
> 
>                            December 17, 1996
> 
> Dear Friend:
> 
> Have you ever driven by a pulp and paper mill and smelled the foul
> air? Have you seen polluted wastewater being dumped into a nearby
> stream? As bad as these noticeable signs of pollution are, there are
> unseen chemicals being released that are even more threatening to
> humans and wildlife, including dioxin. The pulp and paper industry is
> the second largest known source of dioxin because chlorine used to
> bleach paper creates dioxin and other related chemicals. Under current
> law these highly toxic chemicals are legally discharged into streams.
> The EPA will soon decide whether to reduce the release of dioxin and
> other pollutants from pulp and paper mills into our air and water.
> 
> The EPA's draft reassessment of the health risks from dioxin and
> related chemicals links dioxin and related toxics to increased rates
> of breast, testicular and prostate cancers. Infertility, weakened
> immune systems, and nervous system disorders have also been associated
> with these toxics. Because of this threat, many states advise people
> not to eat fish or shellfish caught downstream from paper mills that
> use chlorine to bleach paper.
> 
> Totally Chlorine Free Paper: A Solution Already In Use
> 
> To eliminate this threat to our families and environment, paper mills
> must install totally chlorine free (TCF) technology. TCF paper is
> being made in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. and meets all consumer
> demands for strength and brightness. NWF wants the EPA to require TCF
> technology for all U.S. paper mills.
> 
> To make paper, chemical agents are used to break down the lignin (the
> sticky resin in trees) as well as to bleach or whiten the paper. When
> chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or other chlorine-based chemicals are
> used, they inevitably produce dioxin and related chemicals. However,
> chlorine bleaching agents can be eliminated by using a two step
> process. First, mills must convert to a technology called oxygen
> delignification (OD) which lowers the lignin content of the pulp to
> the point where waste materials can be recycled. Then safer
> oxygen-based bleaching agents, such as hydrogen peroxide or ozone can
> be used to whiten the paper. Dioxin is eliminated and overall water
> quality is improved because most of the waste can be recycled, thus
> reducing the discharge of pollutants that kill fish and other aquatic
> life.
> 
> The Cluster Rule Can Make TCF a Reality
> 
> The EPA is set to issue new air emission and water discharge standards
> for the pulp and paper industry. This rule, known as the "cluster
> rule," if done properly, can reduce the amount of dioxin and other
> pollutants released into our environment dramatically. The EPA is
> currently considering one of two options:
> 
> OPTION A: Require companies to substitute the use of pure chlorine
> with chlorine dioxide which would reduce the amount of dioxin
> generated, but still discharges chemical laden wastewater into our
> water; or,
> 
> OPTION B: Require oxygen delignification (OD) plus chlorine dioxide
> substitution. This option significantly reduces toxic discharges and
> is a critical first step toward TCF.
> 
> Neither of these options will eliminate chlorine bleaching agents
> completely. However, of the two options the EPA is considering,
> clearly Option B is preferable since it moves the industry one step
> closer to TCF. About a third of U.S. pulp and paper mills have
> installed OD. While TCF is the preferred option, the EPA, at the very
> least, should not penalize those mills that have upgraded their
> plants. Option A does not move the industry any closer to TCF and
> should be rejected.
> Option B should be the minimal standard for the industry.
> 
> How You Can Help
> 
> The EPA is expected to make a decision as early as January. The
> National Wildlife Federation believes that totally chlorine free
> technologies should be adopted as the goal for the entire industry.
> Pulp and paper plants should be required to install TCF technology on
> a reasonable schedule. At the very least, the EPA must require all
> mills to adopt oxygen delignification technology, and establish a
> strong U.S. government policy for buying TCF paper.
> 
> Please contact President Clinton today urging him to ensure that paper
> is produced in a way that protects humans and wildlife. Tell him the
> Clinton Administration ought to require the industry to adopt TCF
> production processes, but the President certainly should have the EPA
> choose option B.
> 
> Please contact the President by letter, phone or e-mail today:
> 
> The Honorable William J. Clinton
> President of the United States
> The White House
> Washington, D.C. 20500
> (202) 456-1111
> president@whitehouse.gov.
> 
> Children are the most vulnerable to the dangers of dioxin and other
> related chemicals. President Clinton has heard from industry. Now he
> needs to hear from you. Please write or call him today! Thank you for
> your help.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Mark Van Putten, President
> 
> P.S. Adopting totally chlorine free paper can eliminate one major
> source of dioxin. We should not expose people to these toxic chemicals
> needlessly. Please contact the President today, and urge him to ensure
> that paper mills take a first step toward protecting our families and
> our environment.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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