by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Discussions should begin soon concerning new information available about possible upgrades to the wastewater system at the Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Palatka.
Georgia-Pacific, the St. Johns River- keeper and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are planning to meet about the new findings.
The Riverkeeper recently released the results of the peer review it commissioned on a Georgia-Pacific study that the Palatka pulp and paper mill owner claims supports the construction of a pipeline to the St. Johns River to upgrade its wastewater system.
Georgia-Pacific employs about 1,000 people at the mill.
“We believe there is a solution to this that will protect the river, but also keep those jobs in Putnam County,” said Neil Armingeon, St. Johns Riverkeeper.
“(It could) be an example that a clean environment and industry can coexist. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss this information,” he said.
The Riverkeeper commissioned Greenovative Design & Engineering of Bartow to study the “Wastewater Management Alternatives Evaluation.”
That evaluation was done by Brown and Caldwell, based in Walnut Creek, Calif., at the request of Georgia-Pacific, which was directed to do so by the Department of Environmental Protection.
The Brown and Caldwell study was submitted to the department July 15.
Greenovative contracted with Robert Hayes of Hayes-Bosworth Inc. for his knowledge and expertise within the pulp and paper and industrial wastewater treatment industries.
“We chose Greenovative because we worked with them on other projects, like stormwater studies,” said Armingeon.
“Phyl Kimball (president of Greenovative) is from here and Bob Hayes has worked with the paper industry for 30 years. They also understood our financial situation being a nonprofit,” he said.
The Greenovative review was a strong criticism of the content in the Brown and Caldwell evaluation of alternatives.
“Brown and Caldwell’s competency, capability and expertise in wastewater technology was evident throughout the memorandum, as was their unfortunate, clearly evident deficiency in chemical engineering knowledge and experience – a deficiency that predestined the evaluation to its inevitable failure,” it said.
The report can be viewed at www.cleanergp.com.
The Riverkeeper pursued the review to show that there were alternatives to meeting water quality standards for wastewater discharge other than the pipeline leading directly to the St. Johns River rather than the current discharge into Rice Creek.
Georgia-Pacific would not comment on the findings, although it plans to meet with the department and the Riverkeeper to discuss the information.
“We plan to reach out to Neil and set up a meeting,” said Jeremy Alexander, spokesman for the Palatka pulp and paper mill.
“We are still required to meet the DEP compliance date of October 15, 2012, so we are moving forward with developing requests for proposals for the pipeline project,” he said.
The department was pleased to hear the two sides plan to meet and also plans to be at the table.
“DEP is supportive of the parties coming together to discuss both opportunities and differences in hopes that we can come to a better understanding,” said Dee Ann Miller, spokeswoman for Herschel Vinyard, secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.
“We plan to reach out to Neil and set up a meeting,” said Alexander.
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