PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Paper Corp. has changed the message on its public comment line to accommodate odor-related complaints.
For years, the mill has sponsored a comment line where people can leave feedback on a voice mailbox.
The renamed Community Impact Line is designed to encourage people to leave either negative or positive comments, according to Environmental Manager Annika Wallendahl.
“If someone has a complaint about odor, they can leave a description on the line, and they can expect a return call the next day,” she said.
If the company gets a specific odor complaint, it notes the date and time of the increased odor and refers to the mill’s logs to see if there was any change in operation, Wallendahl said.
Odor was brought up at a state Department of Ecology public meeting earlier this month, when officials took comments about the renewal of a wastewater permit for the mill.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits are required for industrial facilities that discharge wastewater to a bay or a river.
Among the areas the new permit would address is a treatment-efficiency study of the treatment pond with a specific requirement to address minimization of odors from the pond.
The odor generated by the mill has been noticeable for “decades,” according to PT AirWatchers spokeswoman Gretchen Brewer.
“This is serious and needs to be addressed,” said Brewer, who lives in Port Townsend.
“It’s nice to see that the mill is taking some proactive steps to address this.
“They haven’t been real responsive in the past.”
The name change for the phone line went into effect June 11.
Wallendahl said several thousand comments have been fielded through the line over the years.
“We received feedback from some members of the community that they didn’t know where they needed to leave comments, so we made these changes to improve clarity about how we receive feedback,” she said.
Wallendahl said the message has evolved over the years and previously gave callers an opportunity to voice support for the mill’s $55 million 24-megawatt biomass cogeneration expansion, which is expected to be put into operation in 2014 or 2015.
PT AirWatchers is one of five environmental groups that has opposed the biomass upgrade.
The new message invites less positive feedback, saying: “If you feel you’ve been adversely impacted by the mill, please leave a message and speak clearly. Leave your name, phone number and location, and the nature of the impact, and we will return your message by the next business day.”
Comments are routed to the appropriate department, which then answers the questions directly.
Wallendahl said the line also is used to field general informational questions, such as how to apply for jobs at the mill.
The Community Impact Line is 360-379-4224.
Comments also are taken through email at community_relations@ptpc.com.
Complaints about any mill odor also can be sent directly to the state Department of Ecology, 360-407-7393 or angela.fritz@ecy.wa.gov.
Additionally, in other news about the mill, an appeal by the paper corporation to the Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board in regard to Jefferson County’s denial of an inert wastewater permit previously scheduled for Aug. 20-21 was postponed to Dec. 12-13.
The meeting was delayed to accommodate the schedule of another hearing, said Pinky Feria Mingo, Jefferson County environmental health specialist.
The county denied renewal of the permit out of concern for the extra burden placed on the system by a proposed biomass facility, while the mill has argued that the regulations and processes have not changed, so the permit should be renewed.
If the Pollutions Control Hearings Board rules in the company’s favor, it will instruct Jefferson County to grant the permit.
If the ruling is upheld, the denial of the permit will stand, though either side could ask Superior Court for reconsideration.
Until the ruling, the company will continue operation under the current permit.
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
