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Environmental Effects Monitoring

To monitor the potential effects of waste water discharges into the marine environment, the company conducts studies that satisfy Canadian federal environmental effects monitoring (EEM) requirements.

EEM studies are done in iterative, three-year cycles to assess fish or shellfish health, local invertebrate communities, concentrations of contaminants in fish and shellfish tissues and the chronic toxicity of effluent.

The company undertakes additional annual monitoring of chlorinated dioxin and furan levels in sediment and crabs near its Crofton and Elk Falls mills.

Crofton

Recent studies of the marine environment near the Crofton outfall in Stuart Channel indicate that oysters and other sea life near the mill exhibit similar characteristics to those not exposed to effluent, and that concentrations of historical contaminants (e.g. dioxins and furans) continue to decrease in bottom sediments and crabs. Chlorinated dioxins and furans have not been detected in Crofton effluent for more than a decade.

Elk Falls

Studies of the marine environment near the Elk Falls outfall in Discovery Passage indicate that inter-tidal invertebrate communities near the mill outfall exhibit similar abundance and diversity to those not exposed to effluent. Concentrations of historical contaminants (e.g. dioxins and furans) continue to decrease in crabs in the area. Chlorinated dioxins have not been detected in Elk Falls effluent for more than a decade.

Powell River

Studies of the marine environment near the Powell River outfall in Malaspina Strait indicate that invertebrate communities near the mill outfall exhibit similar abundance and diversity to those not exposed to effluent. Concentrations of dioxins and furans in fish and crabs have declined sufficiently that previously closed crab fishing areas have been re-opened and monitoring requirements have been discontinued. Chlorinated dioxins and furans have not been detected in Powell River effluent for more than a decade and monitoring of these compounds ceased following the shutdown of the kraft mill in 2002.

Port Alberni

The Port Alberni mill discharges to the head of Alberni Inlet at the mouth of the Somass River. Recent studies of biological communities in the inlet and of near-shore flora and fauna indicate that some communities exhibit lower diversity at the head of the Inlet relative to communities located further down the inlet. However, biological diversity of flora and fauna in shallow bottom communities in upper Alberni Inlet has increased relative to historical studies.

Many other human activities in the upper Alberni Inlet, such as log booming, as well as natural factors like the influence of the Somass River, make it difficult to assign cause-and-effect relationships between the mill and effects seen in the receiving environment. Low biological diversity of some invertebrate communities near the mill outfall may be related to the presence of a historical fibre mat deposited by the mill before effluent treatment improvements completed in 1993.