Department of Environment EnvironmentalProtection Service PacificRegion PULP MILL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT MACMILLANBLOEDEL LTD., POWELL RIVER DIVISION RegionalProgram Report: 79-14 H. Ne1son LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT CANADA June 1979 CONSERVATlOM AND PROTECTION PACIFIC REGION ABSTRACT In October 1976, theEnvironmental Protection Service initiated a program to assess theenvironmental impact of pulp and paper mil 1 s in British Columbia.With the cooperation of various other government agencies and thepulp and paperindustry, EPS compiledrelevant resource data and receivingenvironment monitoring information. After reviewing and evaluatingthe existing information, the environmental quality of eacharea was assessedand the need foradditional monitoring studies determined.This report represents the environmental impact assessment for the MacMi 11an B1 oedel pulp and paper mi 11 complex at Powel 1 River, British Columbia. RESUME Au mois d'0ctobre 1976, le Service de la protection de 1 'environnement a entreprisde'evaluer les repercussions mesologiques des fabriques de pates et papei rs de la Col ombie-Bri tannique. Ai dede 1 'industrie et de diversautres organismesgouvernementaux, il a reuni V une documentation concernant les ressourcesainsi que certainsresultats de controlesportant sur l'environnement affecte. Apres avoiretudie ces *I donnees, le Service a eval ue la qual i te environnemetal e de chacune des regions et determine quellesseraient les etudes supplementaires qui resteraient a realiser. Ce rapport fait connaitreles resultats ayant I- trait a l'evaluation des contrecoups imputables a la fabrique de pate de 1 a MacMi 11an B1 oedel de Powel 1 River , Col ombie-Bri tannique. IC ma Y aD - iii - 0 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT i RESUME ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii List of Figures V List of Tables vi SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS vii 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 MILL OPERATIONS 4 3 EFFLUENT QUALITY 6 3.1 Government Regulations 6 3.2 Effluent Characteristics b 3.2.1 BOD and SS 6 3.2.2 Toxicity 11 3.2.3 Pol 1 ution Abatement Program 11 r 4 RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT 15 4.1 Oceanography 15 1. 4.2 ImpactStudies 16 4.2.1 MacMi 11 an B1 oedel Studies 16 4.2.1.1 Water qua1 ity 16 4.2.1.2 lnterti dal biology 18 4.2.1.3 Benthic ecol ogy 20 4.2.2 Federal Government Studies 22 4.2.2.1 She1 1 fish contamination 22 4.2.2.2 Benthicsediment characteristics 22 4.2.2.3 Biol ogical sampl ing 26 4.2.2.4 Submersiblediving observations 29 - iv - Page 5 NATURAL RESOURCES 30 5.1 FisheriesResource 30 I 5.2 Migratory Bird Resource 31 REFERENCES 32 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 35 APPENDIX I SUBMERSIBLE DIVING OBSERVATIONS - PISCES IV (EnvironmentalProtection Service, 1978) 37 APPENDIX I1 MacMILLAN BLOEDEL,PULP AND PAPER MILL , Y POWELL RIVER, B.C., FISHERIES RESOURCES OF FISHERIES AND MARINE SERVICE STATISTICAL AREAS 15 AND 16 (Knapp and Lashmar 1978, Internal Report)F.M.S. Internal 42 -v- LIST OF FIGURES 3 F igure Page POWELL RIVER - LOCATION FlAP 2 POWELL RIVER PULP MILL 3 EFFLUENT DISPERSAL PATTERNS (From Young, 1977 as modified from Constantino, 1973) 17 WATER QUALITY STATIONS (1979) 19 MacMILLAN BLOEDEL BENTHIC STATIONS 21 E.P.S. SEDIMENT SAMPLE STATIONS (1978) 24 E.P.S. BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE STATIONS (1978) 27 - vi - LIST OF TABLES Tab1e Page 1 PCB PERMITREQUIREMENTS FOR MACMILLANBLOEDEL LTD., R IVER DIVISION 7 DIVISION POWELL RIVER 2 FEDERALEFFLUENT REGULATIONS FOR MACMILLANBLOEDEL LTD., POWELL RIVERDIVISION 8 3 1977FEDERAL EFFLUENT QUALITY RESULTS FOR MACMILLAN BLOEDEL LTD.,POWELL RIVERDIVISION 9 4 1978FEDERAL EFFLUENT QUALITY RESULTS FOR MACMILLAN BLOEDEL LTD.,POWELL RIVERDIVISION 10 5 1976-1977BIOASSAY RESULTS FOR MACMILLANBLOEDEL LTD., POWELL RIVERDIVISION 12 6 MERCURY IN SEDIMENTSAMPLES (mg/kg dry weight) 25 7 MERCURY IN TISSUESAMPLES (mg/kg) 28 - vii - SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The practiceof discharging un-clarified mill effluentinto the tailrace at PowellRiver has resultedin certain environmental impacts along the shore1 ine northwest of the mil 1 , the southeast shore of Harwood Island, and inthe subtidal benthic zone inthe immediate vicinityof the mill. The impactsidentified havebeen elevatedzinc concentration in oysters, and reduced intertidal communities in areasexposed to mill effluentwhich is transported in surface waters northwestward and westward afterdischarge. Heavy fibreloading has reducedbenthic I comnuni ties in the area adjacent to the mil 1 . Astheticallydispleasing brown coloration and foam insurface watersfrequently result from the tailrace discharge. High mercury Y concentrationsin bottom sediments close to the mill do not appear to havecontaminated the marine biota of the area however dredging V operations should be closely monitored for potential re1 eases of mercury to the watercol umn. The pol 1 ution abatementprogram underway at Powel 1 River should alleviate many ofthe impacts currently identified in the receiving environment. The dischargeof effluent from the kraft mill through a submerged diffuser systemshould greatly increase the dilution of toxic wastes and preventtheir movement intosurface waters and subsequently onto intertidal communities. Recently installed fibre removal facilities totreat woodmill and papermachine effluent streams will significantly reduce suspended sol ids 1oss and fibre input to the mil 1 area. A comprehensiveenvironmental monitoring program is to be II carriedout in conjunction with the submerged diffuser system and the modifiedtailrace discharge to assessthe expected benefits of these .II) measuresupon thereceiving environment. In addition to thecontinuation of intertidal, benthic and waterquality studies a dye traceror .*. equivalentstudy should be carriedout following diffuser start-up to determineactual diffusion and dispersioncharacteristics of the new system. -1- 1 INTRODUCTION The MacMil 1an B1 oedel pul p mil 1 at Powel 1 River is 1ocated on the main1and shore of Mal aspina Strait approximately 100 km northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia (Figure 1). The pulp mill was built in 1912 on re1 atively exposedshore1 ine just south of the mouth of the Powell River. Water fromthe river was divertedthrough the mill areaforming a tailraceinto which mill effluentis discharged and carried to the surface waters of Mal aspina Strait (Figure 2). The coastline in this portion of the Strait undergoes considerabletidal flushing which aids in the rapid dispersion of mill discharges. The area issusceptible to relatively strong winds which blowpredominantly from the southeast in winter and thenortheast in summer and result in good mixing and transport of surfacewaters. Ten floating hul ks have been anchored around the mil 1 s' log hand1 ing and storagearea to serve as a floatingbreakwater adjacent to the mill. The Powel 1 Riverarea and theWestview township, a few kilometerssouth of the mill arewell known forrecreational scuba diving and sportfishing. MacMill an B1 oedel is currently planning a major expansion atthe Powell River operation which would result in a significantincrease in the production of newsprint and provide approximately 100 new jobs in the area. -2- -0- V Y .. Y! -4- 2 MILL OPERATIONS The Powel 1 River Division of MacMi 11an B1 oedel Limited is an I integratedproducer of forest products. The combined operationpresently incl udes a kraft semi-bleach pulp mil 1 , two stone groundwood mil 1 s, one sawdust refiner groundwood mill, one thermo-mechanicalpulp mill (TMP), I six papermachines numbered from 5 to 10, and a sawmill. The paper machinesproduce approximately 1650 air dried tons (ADT) ofnewsprint per day for an averageannual production inthe order of 570 000 tonnes. The kraft mill producesapproximately 600 tonsof semi bleachedkraft per rl day. Of thisproduction 400 to 500 tons is added tothe groundwood pulp aschemical pulp furnish to make newsprint and theremainder sold as "market pul p". The plannedexpansion of newsprint facilities at Powell River will cost an estimated160 mil 1 ion dollars and will increasethe annual newsprintproduction by 190 000 tonnes orabout 33 percent. The additionalnewsprint will be made in a new twin wirepaper machine (designated#11) to be installed as partof the expansion. The pulp needed tofurnish the new papermachine will be largelyproduced bytwo new lines of thethermo-mechanical pulping process. The new facilities areexpected to be inoperation by July 1, 1981. The mechanicallyground pulp used inthe production of newsprintundergoes a brighteningprocess which formally employed zinc hydrosulphi te as a bleachingagent. In 1971, a studycontracted by anotherforest products industry operating on the B.C. coastrevealed thatzinc entering the receiving environment in mill effluent had resultedin a significantaccumulation of this metal in the tissue of oysters and in watersof the area. Subsequent to these findings four groundwood pulp mill s on the B.C. coast,including MacMillan Bloedel 's Powel RiverDivision, converted to a new bleaching compound and discontinued the use of zinc hydrosul phi te. Thewood used in the production of pul p is in the form of 1ower gradelogs supplied local ly and wood shipped in fromother areas of the Province. The mill iscurrently shipping in a considerable amount of -5- wood chipsannually and will requireadditional supplies when the expansion is complete. Thecompany is hopefulthat they will soonbe ableto resume loggingin an area of Vancouver Island,northwest of Campbell River,which has been under a loggingmoratorium for three years. Effluentfrom the pulp mill ispresently discharged through mm threeoutfall s designated 1, 2, and 3 as shownon Figure 2. Outfall #1