Weyerhaeuser''s Flint River operation in Oglethorpe, Ga., is reducing water usage and air emission pollutants as part of its efforts to meet EPA''s Project XL environmental goals.
The water use reduction efforts are saving more than 80,000 gallons of water per day. In addition, the company''s bleaching method has been improved to further reduce the amount of air pollutants being released into the air.
Project XL stands for excellence and leadership in the environmental arena. It is designed to provide regulatory flexibility to companies in exchange for superior environmental performance.
"We are proud of our continued performance against our XL commitments and our environmental leadership in the industry," said Anna Skrobecki, vice president and mill manager of Flint River. "Our water use reduction efforts allowed us to officially request that the Georgia Environmental Protection Division reduce our mill''s surface water withdrawal permit by 1 million gallons per day. It is very rare that a facility asks for its water permit limits to be lowered."
Weyerhaeuser was the first forest products company accepted into the EPA program. The agreement, which began in 1997, is for a 15-year term.
The company''s Flint River operation produces cellulose pulp, used in the manufacture of disposable diapers, and employs more than 325 people.
by Virginia Sutcliffe