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State Approves International Paper Wastewater Project
March 13, 2010
International Paper in Cantonment has been awarded a permit to reroute their wastewater discharge.
The paper mill effluent will be redirected from Eleven Mile Creek to an existing 1,400 acre wetland area owned by IP that includes Tee and Wicker Lakes west of Saufley Field. From there, the the effluent will be distributed and will flow into lower Eleven Mile Creek and Perdido Bay.
“The final order will, after years of legal challenges, issue a permit for the mill. The permit strictly outlines all of the necessary improvements International Paper needs to make in order to protect the area’s natural resources as well as enhance the biological diversity and productivity of the nearby wetlands,” said Michael W. Sole, Florida Department of Environmental Protection secretary, in a written statement.
IP’s permit and accompanying consent order will result in an upgrade of its industrial wastewater treatment plant and relocation of its discharge.
“IP’s use of the wetland tract will set the Eleven Mile Creek on a course of recovery, improve the environmental health of Perdido Bay, and set aside substantial areas of important habitat for permanent protection,” Sole said.
IP’s pulp and paper mill has been operating under an administratively continued 1989 wastewater permit and Consent Order. The Consent Order, which accompanied the permit, required the mill to conduct water quality studies and engineering evaluations, and develop plans to achieve compliance with water quality criteria for Eleven Mile Creek and Perdido Bay. By 1995, IP, then known as Champion International, had invested millions of dollars in mill modifications toward meeting this requirement.
On April 5, 2005, DEP noticed its intent to approve the requested permit to authorize the industrial wastewater treatment improvements, including relocation of the discharge from Eleven Mile Creek to the wetland. These actions were petitioned by the Friends of Perdido Bay and additional residents near the mill in May 2005. After several legal proceedings, IP conducted additional studies, modified the project and re-applied for tuthorizations.
The final order giving IP permission to move forward with the plan was issued Thursday.
Pictured above: The International Paper mill in Cantonment. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
5 Responses to “State Approves International Paper Wastewater Project”
i remember stink creek and hunted near the wicker lakes not such a pretty site there.
YES DHGreen! The BOD level is out of sight.
now if someone would just aerate the bottom of Perdido Bay…
There is sawdust there which predates 1900, way before the paper mill was built.
It creates a biological oxygen demand which would keep the bottom from supporting all the types of life which need oxygen.
It’s not going to happen because nobody can blame an existing industry on it.
David for stirring things up to clean them up
I am glad that there is a decision that will give IP’s owners some reason to continue operations. My neighbors who work there are good people.
So, will this clean up 11 mile creek or just pollute the other areas as well ? When my grandparents moved to Klondike circa 1940, my father swam in 11 mile creek.When I was a kid, the other kids called it “stink creek”. I hope this doesn’t happen to those other areas.