At Glatfelter, we understand that protecting
the environment is important to our customers, shareholders,
employees and the communities in which we live. While we
acknowledge that it is impossible to totally eliminate all
environmental impacts from our forestry and manufacturing
operations, we are nevertheless committed to minimizing our
environmental impact through the use of
best management practices, environmental management systems and state-of-the-art pollution prevention and waste
treatment technologies. Our commitment to environmental protection is foundation of our Environmental Policy.
Our environmental initiatives achieved a
milestone in 1999 when our Spring Grove, Pennsylvania Facility became the first pulp and paper mill in the United States
to receive third-party certification of its environmental management
system. Our Neenah, Wisconsin and Gernsbach, Germany pulp and paper
mills as well as the Glatfelter Pulp Wood Company and our
corporate office in York, Pennsylvania are also ISO 14001
certified. Plans call for all Glatfelter facilities to be ISO 14001
certified by 2004.
There are countless reasons to be responsible environmental stewards.
At Glatfelter, we recognize this and we will continue to go Beyond
Paper.
The Glatfelter Pulp
Wood Company
Sustainable
Forestry Initiative
Matching Seedling
Program
Environmental Policy
Air & Water Resources
Recycling
Risk Management
The Glatfelter Pulp Wood Company
Mission.
The Glatfelter Pulp Wood Company, incorporated in 1918 is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Glatfelter. Its mission is to ensure a continued supply
of high quality pine and hardwood fiber for use in manufacturing
operations of the Spring Grove Facility. Fulfilling this mission
requires a dual effort.
providing the wood for papermaking
managing the forest from which the wood is harvested
A staff of nineteen foresters leads this effort. Most of the foresters
have responsibilities in both wood procurement and forest management.
Fiber Procurement.
The Spring Grove Facility requires approximately 950,000 tons of
wood fiber annually. This is about 160 truck loads per day, five
days a week. One-half of the fiber is softwood (pine) and one-half
is hardwood. More than one-third of this requirement is met by reclaiming
material from other wood processors. Sawmill chips, a by-product
of the lumber industry, are purchased from 120 sawmills throughout
the procurement area. Roundwood used for papermaking is delivered
to Spring Grove by more than 400 individual suppliers in lengths
of eight feet to twenty-two feet and in diameter from four inches
to twenty-four inches.
Company-owned Woodlands.
The Company owns 114,500 acres of managed forests in four states
- Virginia (36%), Pennsylvania (25%), Maryland (22%), and Delaware
(17%). Seventy percent of the land is managed to grow pine, and
25% is managed to grow hardwood. All of the land is managed for
the multiple-use benefits of soil and water protection, wildlife
habitat enhancement, recreational activity and the aesthetics of
undeveloped open space.
Private Landowners.
Company-owned land provides 22% of the total fiber requirement.
Publicly owned or government lands provide 3%. The overwhelming
majority of our wood supply, therefore, is harvested from private
woodlands. Glatfelter foresters work closely with local landowners
to support sustainable forestry initiatives.
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Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
Trees are essential to life. As they grow, trees serve as oxygen
factories, converting carbon dioxide into a precious resource. They
provide shade from the sun and the atmosphere as they recycle water
by absorbing it from the soil and releasing it in the air. Our forests
also are important to wildlife as a source of food and shelter.
People depend on trees for construction lumber, furniture, cosmetics,
recreational equipment, fuel, medical products, and paper.
What's so great about trees is that they are a renewable source.
But the word "renewable" doesn't mean that we should use
our forests carelessly. After all, if we don't manage and protect
our woodlands today, they may not be useful to meet the needs of
tomorrow.
For many years, The Glatfelter Pulp Wood Company, a subsidiary
of Glatfelter, has been in the business of harvesting trees to make
paper and managing woodlands for the future. In 1917, we were one
of the first paper companies to hire a professional forester. Over
the years, our foresters have created forest management plans that
generate wood fiber for papermaking, maintain wildlife habitat,
produce greater biological diversity, and provide public recreational
opportunities.
In 1995, the Company established its Sustainable Forestry Initiative,
or SFI, which implemented the initiative developed by the American
Forest and Paper Association in 1994. This initiative establishes
policies and guidelines designed to ensure the future of today's
abundant forests. While the SFI is new to the industry, the Pulp
Wood Company has practiced many of the program's techniques for
decades.
In recent years, The Glatfelter Pulp Wood Company has replanted
trees on land that was not always forested. Acres of unused agricultural
land now serve as tree farms. The new crops prevent soil erosion
and make productive use of land that would take many years to develop
naturally into a forest.
Timber volume in the United States is greater today than it was
70 years ago, and continues to increase every year. That's due to
the positive stewardship efforts of forestry companies and private
individuals.
We will continue to promote the use of sound forestry techniques,
taking into account all of the special characteristics of a forested
area. This includes joint efforts with organizations like The Nature
Conservancy to protect rare plant life and with state governmental
agencies to create diverse wildlife habitats.
We are proud of our success in providing wood fiber for papermaking
while caring for one of our most valuable natural resources - our
forests. All of us should appreciate the beauty and importance of
woodlands and do our part to help protect them for future generations
to use and enjoy.
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Matching Seedling Program.
In addition to planting pine seedling on Company lands, Glatfelter
provides seedlings to private landowners in Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Virginia and Delaware. As a means of encouraging tree planting,
the Company will share the cost of the seedlings with the landowner.
Since 1946, tree planting on Company-owned land and on private lands
through the matching seedling program, has resulted in the establishment
of nearly 195,000 acres of forest.
Technical Assistance.
To any landowner or logger who requests it, we provide technical
advice and assistance to assure that the lands being harvested to
supply our mills with paper are sustainable for the future. The
importance of these private lands to our future wood supply needs
cannot be overstated. Good stewardship now is absolutely necessary
if forests are to provide benefits and products in the future.
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Environmental Policy
Glatfelter's Environmental Policy reflects its commitment to comply with environmental
laws and regulations, practice pollution prevention and continuously
improve the environment. Instituted in 1997 as part of the ISO 14001
certification process, this policy is the foundation for the Company's
Environmental Management Systems (EMS).
Glatfelter is committed to the effective utilization of natural
resources and to a continuing effort to reduce adverse environmental
impacts which may be caused by its operations.
The Company will demonstrate good corporate citizenship in environmental
matters by complying with relevant laws and regulations, abiding
by environmental principles to which it subscribes, and practicing
pollution prevention rather than pollution control whenever feasible.
The Company believes that maintaining the quality of its environment
is a responsibility it shares with everyone who works and lives
in or near communities where its facilities are located. The Company
expects all employees to assume personal responsibility for awareness
and control of environmental issues on the job.
If you are interested in learning more about Glatfelter's environmental
management system, please contact: Skip Missimer, Vice President,
Environment, Health & Safety at 717-225-2755, smissimer@glatfelter.com
or Kelly Snyder, Management Systems Manager at 717-225-4711, ksnyder@glatfelter.com
Air and water are important natural resources we must use wisely.
Our manufacturing
processes are very complex and, while we have a very strong record
of compliance, we do occasionally experience
problems. When a problem develops due to electrical or
mechanical failure, or because of human error, we follow the
necessary reporting requirements and take timely action to resolve it. We then determine
the cause of the problem and take additional steps to prevent
it from happening again.
Papermaking is a very dynamic process and new technological advances
are made each year. Throughout our history, we have successfully
employed many of these evolving technologies at each of our facilities.
We are continuing this commitment today, through modernization and
equipment upgrades.
Some of the changes we make are required by new or changing environmental
laws. Others are made by us voluntarily, because we believe they
are in the best interest of our company, the environment and the
community.
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Air Quality
Just about every activity generates emissions.
When you burn wood in a wood stove or charcoal on the grill, you
generate air emissions. The car you drive creates air emissions.
Even you create air emissions, when you exhale, perspire, and convert
food into energy as does every other animal or plant.
Often, the most noticeable emissions coming from a paper mill are
those that contain sulfur compounds. These compounds, which give
off an unpleasant odor, result when wood is cooked and converted
into pulp for papermaking. They are so odorous that you can smell
them in extremely low concentrations.
Since the 1970s, Glatfelter has reduced the transportable odor
emissions from its Spring Grove Facility by a minimum of 97%. Now
such odors are seldom transported beyond the immediate area of the
facility. Locally, we continue to work diligently to reduce odor
within close proximity to the facility.
Other paper mill emissions come from the production of steam, which
is used to dry paper and to generate electricity. Steam is produced
in large boilers that burn coal, gas, wood wastes, and oil as fuel.
These fuels release gases similar to those that come out of a car's
exhaust or wood stove -- sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, particulates
and carbon oxides.
Although we usually do not think of these compounds as dangerous
to us in the concentrations in which they are released, we must
have special permits from government agencies to release them into
the atmosphere.
Through the installation of new equipment and regular modernization
at each of its locations, Glatfelter captures about 99% of the particulates
and odorous compounds and more than 50% of the sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxide generated by operations corporate-wide. Here are
some examples of what we have accomplished:
A 68% reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions with the installation
of a circulating fluidized bed boiler at the Spring Grove mill.
This boiler burns coal to produce steam to dry our paper and generate
electricity.
A 95% reduction in odor-causing compounds with the installation
of a new recovery boiler at the Spring Grove Facility. This boiler,
which recycles roughly 98% of the pulping chemicals used in our
process, was installed as part of a $171 million pulpmill modernization
project that was completed in 1994 and included significant environmental
upgrades.
Water Quality
Water is a necessary ingredient in papermaking.
At our Neenah, Wisconsin facility,
we obtain water from nearby rivers. At our Spring Grove, Pennsylvania
Facility, water comes from a creek, which is augmented by three
Company-built reservoirs.
We use water in such applications as:
"Cooking" or treating wood chips and flax straw and recycling
wastepaper to release pulp fibers for papermaking;
washing pulp fiber throughout the pulping and bleaching process;
transporting pulp fiber and other ingredients onto a paper machine;
creating steam needed to dry paper and generate electricity to supply
the entire mill with electric power.
As water passes through our systems, it carries with it excess fiber
and other wastes that are recycled through the papermaking process.
The water itself is recycled many times before we send it to our
wastewater treatment facilities.
At wastewater treatment, our manufacturing wastes pass through
a sophisticated system that is designed to remove solid material
from water and to treat organic materials biologically. A byproduct
of the wastewater treatment process is a solid, clay-like material
called sludge.
The sludge generated from our pulp and papermaking operation contains
primarily cellulose fiber, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide,
clay and traces of other chemicals. Today, new technology has been
developed which burns the sludge generated from the production of
recycled papers at our Neenah Facility and turns it into a useful
product. At our Spring Grove Facility sludge is sent to circulating
fluidized bed boiler, which is designed to burn sludge and wood
waste as well as coal, for use as fuel in our processes.
Drinking Water Quality Report
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The more waste we recycle, the less we have to throw away.
Glatfelter is very active in the recycling business. Our paper
facility in Neenah, Wisconsin produces paper from wastepaper once
destined for the landfill.
Much of the wastepaper recycled at the Neenah Facility comes from
book printing, commercial printing and paper converting. Another
source of wastepaper recycled at the facility is "post-consumer
waste", or the type of waste generated in offices such as used
computer printout paper and discarded letters and memos.
At our Neenah Facility, we convert wastepapers into new paper that
will be used to print fiction and non-fiction books, textbooks,
business forms, and other specialty products.
We use about 120,000 tons of recycled wastepaper each year to produce
bright white printing and specialty papers. The greatest challenge
in making these papers is removing all of the inks, coatings and
other contaminants found within the wastepaper.
Our Neenah Facility, which has been recycling wastepaper since
1904, has pioneered many technical advances in recycling.
Research efforts at the Neenah Facility continue in the area of
wastepaper deinking and papermaking technology as well as in the
exploration of alternative uses for the solid waste generated by
the facilty.
Our recycling efforts are not limited to the paper we produce in
Wisconsin. Here are just a few of the items we recycle throughout
our organization:
Pulping Chemicals. Most of the chemicals we use are captured in
recovery systems and reused in the process or put into containers
and sold as raw materials. Turpentine, a byproduct of pine pulping
at our Spring Grove Facility, is sold for use in pharmaceuticals,
cosmetics, and paint thinner.
Water. This natural resource is recycled more than any other raw
material. Before we send water to our waste treatment facilities,
we recycle it through various processes many times, thus reducing
the amount of fresh water needed from nearby rivers, reservoirs
and streams.
Recycling makes sense because it saves landfill space and
helps reduce the amount of ingredients we must buy to make our
paper. In addition to our raw materials and papermaking wastes, our
recycling efforts extend to our office waste stream through our
collection of computer printout paper, stationary, magazines, and other
post-consumer wastes such as old cardboard, fiber cores, and aluminum.
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Risk Management Plan Summary
Questions and Answers
Safety and accident prevention are two of our most important objectives
at Glatfelter.
Our Corporate Environmental Policy states that "(We) will
employ effective environmental protection technologies and strategies
in all operating facilities as a means of both protecting the environment
and also reducing any environmental health and safety risk to our
employees and the communities in which we operate. Further, the
Company will maintain procedures and equipment to handle environmental
emergencies."
At each of our facilities, we have put in place a number of safety
programs, including Process Safety Management for highly hazardous
chemicals. We provide our employees with regular reviews and training
in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) requirements to ensure their continued health and safety.
In addition, we have installed a number of devices to monitor operations
and alert us to potential problems that might occur.
We have emergency response plans in place and have worked with
each Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) to reduce the risk
of accidental chemical releases and to effectively respond in the
event of a chemical emergency.
We place a high priority on working closely with local fire departments
and emergency response personnel. We educate them on our operations,
including the chemicals we use in the papermaking process, and we
conduct table-top exercises with them to prepare for handling emergencies.
Our processes
The pulping, bleaching and papermaking processes we use to make
our paper products include the use of several different types of
chemicals. Two of these chemicals are chlorine and chlorine dioxide.
Heres how they are used in our processes:
Chlorine:
as a bleaching agent
as a biocide, or anti-bacterial agent used to purify water used
at the facility (and in the case of our facility in Spring Grove,
Pennsylvania, for public drinking water used by the Borough of Spring
Grove)
As an ingredient in the production of sodium hypochlorite
a bleaching agent at the Neenah, Wisconsin Facility.
As a disinfectant to prevent bacterial growth on papermaking equipment.
Chlorine Dioxide:
As a bleaching agent at the Spring Grove Facility.
Chlorine is stored on-site in the container or vessel in which it
was shipped - either in rail cars or cylinders.
Chlorine dioxide is produced on site at the Spring Grove Facility
and is stored as a dissolved gas in cool water.
EPAs Risk Management Plan Rule
Under EPAs Risk Management Plan Rule, companies that exceed
the regulated amount of one or more listed chemicals must produce
"worst-case" and alternative or "more likely"
accident scenarios for each regulated chemical. In developing these
scenarios, we used a model that generates very conservative results.
The results were used to develop our Risk Management Plans at each
facility. Those plans have been provided to and reviewed with emergency
planning agencies at each of our facilities.
Worst Case
The intent of the worst-case scenario is not to be realistic, but
to define the upper bound impact of a release that is virtually
impossible. The regulations define the parameters for a worst-case
scenario very specifically. Our goal was to develop a plan for the
truly worst-case scenario and err on the side of safety for emergency
planning purposes.
According to the RMP rule, the worst-case release must involve
the loss of the largest quantity of a regulated substance from a
vessel or process line. Therefore, for all U.S. facilities, the
worst-case release for chlorine involves the loss of the entire
contents of a rail car of chlorine shortly after it has been connected
to a facilitys supply system. In order for a release of this
nature to occur, the tank car would have to split in two. The affected
area would be dependent upon wind direction and speed.
It is important to note that the national Chlorine Institute reports
that such an event has never occurred with a rail car at a users
site or when the car was being filled with chlorine at a producers
site. These cars are designed to withstand transportation accidents
in accordance with federal Department of Transportation safety standards.
Alternative or More-Likely Case
The alternative release scenario for chlorine would be a failure
of gasket material and the release of chlorine for up to 30 minutes,
depending on the facility location. The alternative release scenario
for chlorine dioxide would be a break in a pipeline and the release
of chlorine dioxide for 60 minutes.
Both of these two alternative scenarios would have similar affected
areas - a pie-shaped maximum distance of up to approximately 750
feet, depending on wind direction.
Our Preventive Measures
To prevent the release scenarios and mitigate the consequences
of a release,
Glatfelter has implemented numerous protective practices at its
facilities, including:
Routine inspection of equipment, piping, storage vessels and instrumentation
Written operating procedures detailing process conditions and procedures
Continuous computer and operator monitoring of process systems
Chlorine handling training procedures set in accordance with OSHA
and Chlorine Institute guidelines
Operator training in normal and emergency operating procedures
Manual and automatic shut-off valves, including an excess flow device
located in the rail car
Mechanical integrity testing of critical vessels and piping
Walk-through inspections
Inspections following maintenance procedures
Detectors throughout the process to notify personnel to releases
An on-site emergency response team to respond to emergencies
Safety reviews of all changes
Hot Work Permit procedures
Contractor Safety procedures
In-Plant Emergency Response Plan
At each of our facilities, we have emergency response plans that
outline procedures for dealing with both on-site and off-site emergencies.
As part of that plan, we:
Provide regular training to emergency response team members
Conduct emergency response drills
Maintain on site first-aid facilities
Maintain on-site emergency response personnel
Conduct tabletop exercises with local LEPC/Emergency Management
Agencies
Maintain cleanup and containment equipment on-site for quick response
In the unlikely event that a release occurs:
Emergency alarms are sounded
Trained emergency response teams respond with the appropriate tools
for making expeditious rail car and cylinder repairs
The Facility Emergency Coordinator initiates the appropriate response,
and, if necessary, notifies the Local Emergency Planning Committee
(LEPC)/Emergency Response Agency (EMA), regional and/or state emergency
planning committees; and National Response Center.
Following an incident, response activities are reviewed and revised
as appropriate.
Our accident history
Glatfelter maintains a five-year accident history that fulfills
the requirements of the RMP rule. No releases of regulated substances
have occurred from any of the chlorine areas in the last five years
that have resulted in either on-site or off-site deaths, or significant
property damage. One release of chlorine occurred on site at the
Neenah Facility within the last five years in which four outside
contractors were slightly injured. The general public was not affected
in that incident.
About our Company
About our Environmental Commitment
Glatfelter is committed to employee and public safety and to the
preservation of the environment through accident prevention. The
Company implements reasonable controls to prevent foreseeable releases
of hazardous substances. In the event of an accidental release,
the Company controls and contains the release in a manner that will
be safe for workers and will help prevent injury to the public and
to the environment.
In April, 1999, Glatfelter's Spring Grove Facility became the first
pulp and paper mill in the United States to achieve internationally-recognized
ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system
and its commitment to environmental excellence. To earn ISO 14001
certification, an organization must commit to compliance, prevention
of pollution, continual improvement of its environmental management
system, and involvement by employees at all levels of the organization.
Glatfelter is currently pursuing ISO 14001 certification for all
of its U.S. facilities by the end of 2004.
ISO 14001 provides the framework for managing our environmental
affairs with the goal of improving environmental performance. We
are committed to this continuous improvement and to working with
local emergency response officials to reduce risks and improve accident
preparedness.
If you have any questions about our risk management plans, please
contact us via e-mail.
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RMP FAQ Sheet
Q. What is the RMP?
A. RMP stands for Risk Management Program. The RMP was developed
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a result of changes
to the Clean Air Act in 1990. It requires facilities using or storing
specific chemicals above a certain quantity to develop a Risk Management
Plan which considers worst case and more likely, or alternative
case accident scenarios involving these regulated chemicals. The
Risk Management Plan must also describe how the scenarios might
affect the surrounding communities and the environment. Other pertinent
information on emergency response procedures is also a part of the
Risk Management Plan. The Plans were due to the EPA on June 21,
1999. The RMP provides information to the public to help them understand
the potential chemical hazards in their communities and what measures
the facility takes to minimize accidents from occurring.
Q. Who is covered by the RMP?
A. Any facility using more than the listed quantity of a covered
chemical is regulated under the RMP rule. EPA has estimated that
more than 66,000 businesses are covered by the rule. The rule potentially
affects chemical companies, pulp and paper manufacturers, utilities,
agricultural industries, water treatment plants, dry cleaners and
grocery stores, to name a few.
Q. How is Glatfelter covered under the RMP Rule?
A. The RMP Rule covers over 70 toxic substances and about 60 flammable
substances. Glatfelter uses only two of the covered chemicals. Chlorine
is used at the Spring Grove, PA and Neenah, WI Facilities
for bleaching and whitening pulp, water purification
and as a biocide to prevent bacteria build-up on the paper machines.
In addition, the Spring Grove Facility uses chlorine dioxide to
whiten pulp. The RMP Rule regulates these chemicals and each facility
has prepared Risk Management Plans for each covered chemical at
their site. Those plans were filed with the EPA before the June
21, 1999 deadline and copies of the emergency response plan contained
within were provided to and reviewed with the Local Emergency Planning
Committees (LEPCs) at each location.
Q. What is a worst-case release scenario?
A. A worst-case release is described very specifically by the EPA
as the release of the largest quantity of a regulated substance
from a vessel or process line over a 10 minute period. Very specific
weather conditions must also be used to determine the potential
impact of a release. The worst case is truly a "worst case"
and highly unlikely to ever occur.
Q. What is an alternative-case release scenario?
A. An alternative-case release is a more likely potential release
due to a process line leak, seal failure, overfilling of a vessel
or overpressurization causing leakage through a pressure relief
valve. Unlike the worst-case scenario, the alternative-case scenario
can take into account any safety measures that are in place to mitigate
the impact of the release.
Q. What does it mean to be within an affected area?
A. The affected area refers to the area that would be impacted
by a concentration in excess of the toxic endpoint defined by EPA
under the RMP rule. For example, chlorine has a toxic endpoint of
0.0087mg/L as specified by the RMP rule. Most people within the
affected area could be exposed to this concentration for up to one
hour without having irreversible or serious health effects or symptoms.
Q. How is the area impacted by a release determined?
A. EPA has guidance documents and tables for reference as well
as computer models to "predict" the area that could potentially
be impacted in the event of a release. EPA has acknowledged that
models are simply predictors of potential impacts and are not accurate
over long distances.
Q. What is the likelihood of a worst case release?
A. Glatfelter uses rail cars to bring chlorine on-site to all of
its facilities. These rail cars are Department of Transportation
safety-approved. The National Chlorine Institute informed us that
there has never been a catastrophic rupture of a chlorine rail car
at a users site or at a producers site while being unloaded.
Q. What is the likelihood of alternative or more likely release
scenario?
A. Even the more likely scenario is not very likely. Glatfelter
takes very seriously its commitment to protecting the environment,
the community and its employees. The following list includes only
a few of the safety measures in place to minimize the likelihood
of an accident involving chlorine:
Routine inspection of equipment, piping, storage vessels and instrumentation
Written operating procedures for critical systems
Employee training and awareness sessions (normal and emergency conditions)
Manual and automatic shut-off valves (excess flow valve located
in the rail car)
Regular walk-through inspections
Thorough inspections following maintenance of equipment
Sensors throughout the facility notifying employees of a release
On-site trained emergency response personnel
Q. How do the facilities respond if a release does occur?
A. Glatfelter has specific emergency response procedures for each
facility which describe the steps that are taken to respond to the
incident, mitigate the release and notify the Emergency Management
Agency (EMA) or Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) if necessary.
Cleanup and containment equipment and first aid facilities are maintained
on site for a quick response if needed. The Company conducts table-top
exercises with local emergency response personnel to practice what
should be done in the event of an incident.
Q. What is the history of accidents with chlorine?
A. The RMP requires each covered facility to discuss the accident
history with the covered chemicals for the last five years. None
of the three covered facilities have had an accidental release that
caused severe injuries or death on or off site. One incident occurred
in 1994 at our Neenah facility that affected four outside contractors
who were working on our property at the time of the release. None
of the four were seriously injured and the public was not affected.
Q. What health risks are associated with chlorine and chlorine
dioxide?
A. Chlorine is still widely used as a disinfectant in swimming
pools, as a purifier and disinfectant in water and wastewater treatment
plants and as an ingredient in the manufacture of other chemicals
and products such as plastics. Chlorine dioxide is used a pulp bleaching
agent and, in some cases, for water purification. Potential health
affects from direct, prolonged exposure to high concentrations of
chlorine and chlorine dioxide include breathing difficulties, nausea,
respiratory distress, pulmonary edema and, if severe, death. The
health risks for both chlorine and chlorine dioxide are largely
dependent on the length of time of the chemical exposure and how
close one is to the spill. Other factors such as weather conditions,
ability to seek shelter and use of any protective gear or equipment
can also affect the potential health risks.
Q. What should I do in the event of an emergency?
A. In the unlikely event that a chemical release would reach the
community, local emergency personnel would advise residents of safety
precautions, including evacuation if necessary. The local Emergency
Management Association and other emergency personnel are well aware
of the chemicals we have on site and are trained to handle emergencies
involving these substances.
Q. Are there any plans to eliminate the use of these chemicals?
A. The Spring Grove Facility plans to spend $32 million over the
next five years to eliminate the use of elemental chlorine for bleaching
pulp. We will continue to use chlorine dioxide for bleaching.
Q. Where can I find out more information about the RMP and Glatfelter?
A. You may contact us via e-mail on our website.
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