By David Olson
Herald Writer
EVERETT – A year ago, environmental groups criticized Kimberly-Clark Corp. for not doing enough to reduce the level of pollutants being discharged into Port Gardner Bay from the company’s Everett pulp and tissue mill.
The company defended itself and said some of the groups’ demands were unrealistic and that the level of toxins it was discharging was minuscule.
Last week, the two sides were praising each other for an agreement they say introduces a new spirit of trust and cooperation.
“Working with the environmental groups has started a relationship that we hope will continue to grow,” said Christine Kurtz, environmental manager for Kimberly-Clark.
“The result of this is a permit that will protect Puget Sound and human health,” said Ivy Sager-Rosenthal, policy associate with People for Puget Sound.
In December, the state Department of Ecology issued a five-year environmental permit to Kimberly-Clark. In March, four groups appealed the permit, saying it didn’t provide enough environmental protection. The Ecology Department will now incorporate the settlement into a revised permit.
Under the agreement, Kimberly-Clark agreed to more stringent limits on the discharge of furan, a toxin that may cause cancer. The company will install new filters, change some chemicals it uses, and work with Everett to reduce furan levels in the industrial water the city sends to Kimberly-Clark, said Chris Isenberg, pulp mill manager.
Kimberly-Clark had already planned to make those moves before the groups appealed the company’s permit, he said.
The company also agreed to hire an independent consultant to study whether it’s feasible for the mill to switch to a bleach-free process that doesn’t lead to emissions of toxins into the bay.
A study the company conducted more than five years ago concluded it isn’t economically feasible for the company to stop bleaching paper, in part because consumers will not buy brown toilet paper and other unbleached paper products.
“This is the first mill in Washington that will have an independent consultant look at this,” said Laurie Valeriano, policy director for the Washington Toxics Coalition.
“We’re going into this with completely open eyes,” Isenberg said.
Although the environmental groups heaped praise on Kimberly-Clark, they continued to criticize the Ecology Department for issuing the permit in the first place.
“Time and time again, they issue permits that are weak, have loopholes and do not follow the Clean Water Act,” Sager-Rosenthal said.
“We believe the permit provided effective protection of the environment at the outset,” Ecology Department spokesman Larry Altose said. “We believe that under the settlement the permit will provide somewhat stronger protection.”
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