Kimberly-Clark was fined $16,000 for a misstep that violated air-quality laws and covered much of the city with a potent rotten-egg smell for two days in April.
The state Department of Ecology, which regulates the sprawling pulp mill on Everett’s waterfront, announced the penalty Tuesday.
The odor, while unpleasant, was not life-threatening, according to the state environmental agency.
None of the company’s 850 Everett employees had to be hospitalized as a result of exposure to sulfur-based gas emissions, and there were no reports of injuries in the community.
Still, state rules and the mill’s federal air quality permit prohibit the emission of odors strong enough to interfere with the enjoyment of everyday life.
“We expect the mill to take every step to be a good neighbor at all times,” said Carol Kraege, who manages the state agency’s industrial section. “On reviewing these events, we believe the mill could have avoided or greatly reduced the odor problems people had to live through.”
Kimberly-Clark officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
The source of the smell goes back to mid-February, when an unusual chemical reaction caused high levels of sulfur to form in acid stored at the mill.
It was the first occurrence of such a chemical imbalance in the Everett mill’s long history, company officials told the Department of Ecology in a letter dated May 18.
The company attempted to treat the contaminated acid three times in a closed system, but solid sulfur formed and clogged evaporation equipment.
That created numerous operations and maintenance problems, according to an explanation sent to the state.
To solve the problem, several experts in sulfite pulp chemistry concluded that Kimberly-Clark should completely remove the liquid and start over.
The noticeable odor wasn’t discovered until after the company began emptying the liquid into an open-air basin in the company’s wastewater treatment plant early on the morning of April 5. Processing of the waste continued through April 6.
Once work started, the liquid had to be processed slowly to avoid discharging pollution into Puget Sound, Scott Helker, manager of the Everett mill, said in an interview in May.
Once exposed to the air, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and sulfur dioxide fumes evaporated from the liquid mixture, prompting numerous odor complaints.
Kimberly-Clark, which produces a million rolls of paper products a day in Everett, said it has taken steps to prevent the problem from recurring.
The company also is in the process of revising how it handles odor complaints internally, and how it relays information to regulatory and community agencies.
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
