PORT TOWNSEND — A public hearing to gather input for a boiler upgrade at the Port Townsend Paper Corp.’s mill drew a sparse crowd this week.
About 30 people attended Monday night’s hearing at Fort Worden Commons, with half of that number representing the state Department of Ecology, Port Townsend Paper Corp. and the media.
The hearing represents the last stage of the comment period for the upgrade, which is required to meet stricter environmental standards that go into effect in January 2016.
PT AirWatchers spokeswoman Gretchen Brewer said the light attendance at Monday’s hearing was due to the holiday season, along with the company’s claim that the boiler upgrade will not significantly affect the mill’s odor output.
“The power boiler is just one example of all the pollution that originates from the mill,” Brewer said.
“I think people will get really energized when there is a proposal that addresses the noxious fumes that come from the mill that addresses what the bulk of people here are experiencing as its result.”
The public comment period closes at 5 p.m. Friday.
For documents pertaining to the project, visit http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Boiler.
Comments can be sent by email to ptpc.comments@ecy.wa.gov, faxed to 360-407-6102 or mailed to Stephanie Ogle, Department of Ecology Industrial Section, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.
Once the comment period closes, the state Department of Ecology will review the accumulated comments and post a response to each one.
Hearing officer Angela Fritz told the gathering that if comments lead to a change in the permit, another draft of the proposal will be prepared and a new comment period scheduled.
Otherwise, Ecology will approve or reject the permit request based on available information.
The final order can be appealed within 30 days to the Pollution Control Hearings Board, she said.
Industrial Section Engineer Stephanie Ogle gave a 30-minute presentation about the project, reporting that the new boiler would significantly decrease particulate matter and carbon monoxide emissions, with nitrogen oxides and greenhouse gases increasing slightly.
The project would replace the existing wet scrubber and add a new wet electrostatic precipitator.
The new scrubber and addition of the wet electrostatic precipitator would reduce the emissions of particulate matter including fine particulates, Ecology said.
According to Ecology figures, the upgrade would reduce PM-10 and PM-2.5 emissions from 124.17 tons per year to 46.21.
Carbon monoxide also would decrease, Ecology said, from 921.87 tons per year to 704.69.
Nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide emissions would increase.
Nitrogen oxides would rise from 262.72 tons per year to 274.75, while carbon dioxide would increase from 255,135 tons per year to 261,710.
The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period and a public hearing, at which only Brewer and Julia Cochrane testified.
“This proposal will increase greenhouse gases by 2.6 percent,” Cochrane said.
“I’m glad the nano particles seem to be a little bit less, which is good news, because I’d like to continue living here, but I am still concerned about particle emissions, and any increase to greenhouse gases is not OK at this point,” she added.
The upgrades would not change the current steam production capacity of the boiler and therefore would not affect the overall production capacity of the facility, according to Ecology.
The air supply system upgrade is expected to improve fuel distribution to the boiler and improve the boiler’s efficiency, cutting carbon monoxide, Ecology said.
Emissions of hydrogen chloride, volatile organic compounds and total reduced sulfurs are expected to remain unchanged, Ecology said.
Sulfur dioxide emissions are also expected to remain unchanged but may decrease due to the ability to use less recycled fuel oil, the agency said.
Company spokesman Kevin Scott said he expects the order to be granted in February, with construction on the project to begin in the spring and finish by the fall.
The estimated cost would be between $10 million and $12 million.
A public hearing about a different issue, the construction of two new pulp refiners drew about 60 people and 17 commenters in May.
The mill, the largest private employer in Jefferson County, employs about 325 people.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.