Post by formeremployee on Apr 2, 2010 9:28:21 GMT -7
ANOTHER chemical spill in Marathon?
Apr 1, 2010 | In Environmental News | Send feedback »
Please let this be an April Fool's Joke.
Thunder Bay's Chronicle Journal is reporting that another chemical spill has occurred into Lake Superior from Marathon, Ontario's dormant pulp mill.
The spill of diluted chemicals is even bigger than the four previous previous leaks.
This leak is believed to be coming from a clarifier pond. The pond had been frozen, but a plume was noticed on the harbour surface, indicating a leak. Lisa Brygidyr, a spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, said they can not figure out how it thawed so quickly.
During normal mill operations, spent pulp chemicals are sent to a clarifier before being pumped to a secondary treatment plant.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Tembec crews began vacuuming out about 100,000 gallons of diluted pulping liquors, sewer water and treated effluent that remained in the clarifier.
The clarifier pond is not supposed to be used as a storage tank. However, the Ministry of the Environment allowed Tembec to put excess diluted black liquor material into it earlier this year when a holding tank at the mill was found to be leaking from the bottom.
As news of the fourth spill spread through town Wednesday, some were heart-sick that the lake had been fouled yet again.
“Absolutely, that‘s the story going around town – that if only (Tembec) had cleaned the site up in summer and fall, we would not be facing this situation today,” said Marathon Mayor Rick Dumas.
Late last summer the Ministry of the Environment ordered Tembec to heat the mill, or remove the black liquor chemicals. Tembec disagreed with the Ministry and by the time an agreement was reached, it was December and cold.
Apr 1, 2010 | In Environmental News | Send feedback »
Please let this be an April Fool's Joke.
Thunder Bay's Chronicle Journal is reporting that another chemical spill has occurred into Lake Superior from Marathon, Ontario's dormant pulp mill.
The spill of diluted chemicals is even bigger than the four previous previous leaks.
This leak is believed to be coming from a clarifier pond. The pond had been frozen, but a plume was noticed on the harbour surface, indicating a leak. Lisa Brygidyr, a spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, said they can not figure out how it thawed so quickly.
During normal mill operations, spent pulp chemicals are sent to a clarifier before being pumped to a secondary treatment plant.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Tembec crews began vacuuming out about 100,000 gallons of diluted pulping liquors, sewer water and treated effluent that remained in the clarifier.
The clarifier pond is not supposed to be used as a storage tank. However, the Ministry of the Environment allowed Tembec to put excess diluted black liquor material into it earlier this year when a holding tank at the mill was found to be leaking from the bottom.
As news of the fourth spill spread through town Wednesday, some were heart-sick that the lake had been fouled yet again.
“Absolutely, that‘s the story going around town – that if only (Tembec) had cleaned the site up in summer and fall, we would not be facing this situation today,” said Marathon Mayor Rick Dumas.
Late last summer the Ministry of the Environment ordered Tembec to heat the mill, or remove the black liquor chemicals. Tembec disagreed with the Ministry and by the time an agreement was reached, it was December and cold.