Tracking the Benefits of Mill Environmental Investments Aimed at the Protection of Aquatic Organisms, 2001 Environmental Conference Proceedings

T.G. Kovacs, P.H. Martel, J.S. Gibbons, B.I. O’Connor, R.H. Voss--In the past decade, the pulp and paper industry has undergone major modernization, partly aimed at improving effluent quality. The benefits of this modernization, in terms of meeting new regulations and reduced contaminant levels (e.g., dioxins), are well known. Demonstrating that regulatory compliance and reduced contaminant levels are, in turn, beneficial for aquatic organisms poses a greater challenge. To find out, during the last ten years, we have conducted tests in the laboratory as well as studies in the field. In the laboratory, various aquatic organisms were exposed to effluents from mills before and after process/treatment changes. These tests demonstrated substantial improvements in effluent quality, particularly in regards to biological responses of concern, namely, fish and Ceriodaphnia reproduction as well as levels of liver detoxification enzymes in trout. The tests also provided valuable leads concerning benefits of specific process/treatment changes. The field studies were undertaken as a final check for assessing the outcome of the environmental investments. Fieldwork focused on the fish community of a river receiving input from three mills before and after process/treatment changes. The fish community below the mills and throughout the river was found to improve. Collectively, these findings provide powerful evidence that industry strategies and investments are on the right track for achieving the minimum impact mill.