High energy costs are prompting pulp and paper mills to investigate and implement alternative measures to secure an…
High energy costs are prompting pulp and paper mills to investigate and implement alternative measures to secure an adequate supply of fuel at a reasonable cost. So forms the basis for Corner Brook Pulp and Paper’s proposal to burn Newfoundland’s stockpile of discarded tires in an effort to produce energy for its mill. The CBC recently reported that the company has declared it can clear the province’s stockpile of 1.5 million used tires within a period of six years.
Despite the positive financial logistics of the program, environmental concerns might prevent Corner Brook from pursuing the method. According to the CBC, Environment Minister Tom Osborne has said the company will be subjected to rigorous environmental criteria should it be granted permission to burn the tires, and will be required to prove the method is safe. Osborne has confirmed he believes the method will generate more pollution, but that the production of dioxins and furans are reduced through the use of tire-derived fuel.
Corner Brook Pulp and Paper isn’t the first corporation of its kind to look into tire burning for energy. In March, Abitibi-Consolidated put plans to test tires to produce energy on the back burner after citizens in the Stephenville area raised concerns over what implications the experiment would have on the environment.
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