Weyco mill No. 8 in carcinogen release
Thursday, January 6, 2005 7:19 AM PST
By Andre Stepankowsky
Printable version
E-mail this articleWeyerhaeuser Co.'s Longview pulp and paper mill ranked eighth in the nation in 2002 for the volume of cancer-causing chemicals it released to the air, according to an analysis by an environmental group.
Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Defense reported Wednesday that the Longview plant emitted 585,000 pounds of carcinogens in 2002, the last year for which statistics are available.The emissions were legal under the company's pollution-control permits.
While not disputing the accuracy of the report, company spokeswoman Jackie Lang said "we are fully committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner. This is a focus of our work every day.
"It is company policy to fully comply with air and water pollution limits and guidelines. ... We take our environmental commitment very seriously."
The plant was the only industrial facility in Washington state to be ranked among the nation's 100 largest producers of cancer-causing air pollution, according to the Environmental Defense analysis.
The nation's biggest spewer of cancer-causing air pollutants is the 3V Inc. chemical plant in Georgetown, S.C,. which released 1.2 million pounds in 2002, according to Environmental Defense.
Washington industries overall ranked 26th nationally in the amount of cancer-causing chemicals released to the air.
"All facilities in the top 100 released more than 100,000 pounds of cancer-causing pollutants to their communities' air in 2002 alone," Dr. John Balbus, director of the health program at Environmental Defense, said in a written statement released Wednesday.
"Even though these releases are not unlawful, there is clearly a lot of room for improvement. The public has a right to know where the biggest releases are occurring and facilities bear the responsibility to show that their pollution doesn't pose an unacceptable risk."
The group, which has issued its annual toxic pollution scorecard since 1998, based its rankings on emissions reports that industrial plants have been required to file annually since 1988. The requirement -- with covers 650 types of chemicals --- grew out of the 1984 disaster at a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India.
Cowlitz County industries --- and the Weyerhaeuser plant in particular --- have always ranked among the top statewide in toxic emissions..
Neither Environmental Defense nor the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which collects the reports, make any attempt to assess any danger posed by the reported emissions.
Health and environmental officials assert that its difficult to draw conclusions from the reports, citing lack of detail about the level of public exposure to the chemicals and general health of the populations.
State Department of Ecology officials Wednesday said they had not seen the Environmental Defense report and could not comment. However, in general, agency officials say such reports spotlight pollution and put pressure on companies to clean up.
Weyerhaeuser's emissions of all toxic chemicals have plummeted since the mid 1990s, declining from 5.2 million pounds of air emissions in 1995 to 2.1 million pounds in 2002. Decreases since 1999, however, have been less dramatic.
Environmental and industrial officials emphasize that changing reporting requirements make accurate year-to-year comparisons difficult.
"The reporting system makes it very difficult to extract trends or understand true health risks," Lang said.
For example, she said, over the last few years the company undertook a series of projects that significantly cut emissions of volatile organic compounds. VOCs help create smog, which can cause lung and immune system diseases. However, at the same time, the company increased the amount of wood chips it pulps and burns, releasing higher amounts of other toxic chemicals inherent in wood, Lang said.
As a result, the company's reported total toxic emissions over the last couple of years have been unchanged, she said.
"There is tremendous pressure to reduce these emissions. We recognize that pressure and work continuously to improve our performance."
Top 10 emitters of cancer-causing chemicals to the air in 2002
1. 3V Inc., Georgetown, S.C. 1.2 million pounds.
2. Daramic Inc., Corydon, Ind. 1.1 million pounds.
3. Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y. 970,000 pounds.
4. Foamex L.P., Corry, Penn. 724,000 pounds.
5. U.S. Sugar Corp., Bryant, Fla. 711,000 pounds.
6. Abbott Health Prods. Inc., Barcoloneta, Puerto Rico 654,000 pounds.
7. Alcoa Eastalco Works, Frederick, Md. 608,000 pounds.
8. Weyerhaeuser Co., Longview, Wash. 585,000 pounds.
9. DDE Lousville, Louisville, Ky. 521,000.
10. Albemarle Corp., Orangeburg, S.C. 507,000 pounds.
Source: Company reports, Environmental Defense.
Donna Mcdaniel wrote on Feb 22, 2008 4:48 AM:
Past Month's Most Commented Stories