FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Environmental Groups and Kimberly-Clark Reach Agreement on Mill's Clean Water Act Permit

Press Release: Environmental Groups and Kimberly-Clark Reach Agreement on Mill's Clean Water Act Permit

A coalition of environmental groups announced today they have reached agreement on the Clean Water Act permit for Kimberly-Clark's Everett pulp and tissue mill. The environmental groups filed an appeal of the permit charging the mill's new permit issued by the Washington state Department of Ecology (Ecology) allowed high levels of pollution to enter Puget Sound in violation of the Clean Water Act. Under the terms of the settlement, Kimberly-Clark has agreed to several provisions that will strengthen the permit and to take steps to further reduce the amount of pollutants the company discharges.

"We are pleased we could reach an agreement with Kimberly-Clark," said Ivy Sager-Rosenthal, policy associate with People For Puget Sound. "This agreement is a good first step toward reaching the goal of eliminating toxic pollution in Puget Sound."

The environmental coalition, which included Washington Toxics Coalition, Washington Public Interest Research Group, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, and People For Puget Sound, appealed the permit, charging that it:

• Allowed high amounts of furans, persistent toxic chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects, and immune system problems, to be discharged into Puget Sound.
• Allowed the permit to be modified without public input.
• Did not require stringent monitoring of the mill's water discharges.
• Continued to authorize the mill to use old leaking pipes to discharge its pollution.
• Did not do enough to move the mill towards the zero discharge goal of the Clean Water Act.
  

"We remain disappointed that the Department of Ecology is unable to write pollution discharge permits that protect water quality and that it is up to citizen groups to insure that the goals of the Clean Water Act are being upheld," said Sue Joerger of the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.
Under the settlement agreement, Kimberly-Clark will:

• Develop and implement a plan to assure future compliance with the permit's new, more stringent furan limits by October 2006.
• Remove all reference to the old and discontinued outfalls from the permit.
• Provide the public the right to comment if the permit is later modified.
• Implement improved monitoring of the mill's discharges.
  

In addition, Kimberly-Clark agreed to provide an opportunity for the environmental groups to participate in an evaluation of how the mill could eliminate its toxic discharges by switching to chlorine-free technologies. The results of the study will be provided to the Department of Ecology for consideration in the next permit.

Kimberly-Clark manufactures bleached toilet paper and paper towels at its Everett facility. The use of chlorine compounds for bleaching results in dioxins, furans, and other chemicals that build up in the food chain, and pose a threat to the health of wildlife and people. The environmental groups' goal is to eliminate these toxic threats and move toward the elimination of all wastewater discharges at pulp mills.

"We see a great opportunity for Kimberly-Clark to make quality products while being a leader in using processes that don't pollute our air, water, and bodies with harmful chemicals," said Laurie Valeriano, policy director for the Washington Toxics Coalition.

"This agreement is a win for everyone," added Mo McBroom of WashPIRG. "The new permit will better protect public health, and Kimberly-Clark will gain valuable information about how the conversion to chlorine-free technology can improve its environmental performance."

Ecology will now rewrite the permit to include the terms of the agreement and will submit a draft of the permit to the public in the next month.  The public will then have 30 days to provide input on the permit.

Contact:

Laurie Valeriano
Washington Toxics Coalition
206-632-1545 ext. 114

Mo McBroom
WashPIRG
206-799-1589

Sue Joerger
Puget Soundkeeper Alliance
206-297-7002

Washington Toxics Coalition is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to protect public health and the environment by preventing pollution.

WashPIRG is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest organization advocating for environmental protection and good government.

Puget Soundkeeper Alliance stops toxic pollution from entering Puget Sound by enforcing the Clean Water Act through on the water patrols, citizen lawsuits, and pollution prevention education.

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